National
Kejriwal demands independent inquiry into metro fare hike
New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that the Centre institute an independent inquiry into Delhi Metro’s decision to hike fares and raised questions about the latter’s accountability.
“The organisation, management, control and accountability of DMRC suffers from several serious flaws and the rationalisation and restructuring of DMRC seems an imminent necessity,” Kejriwal said in a letter to the Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep S. Puri.
He asked for the setting up of an “independent Expert Group” acceptable to both state and central government to look into several questions he has raised about the recent fare hike decision.
In the letter, Kejriwal said the latest hike was of over 100 per cent and that he had not seen such a steep hike in any public service, be it transport or electricity or water. He also surmised that the current hike exceeded the rate of inflation — one of the causes of increase in income and price of goods and services.
“One would have expected that on account of rapidly rising ridership, efficiency improvements and real estate exploitation, metro fares in real terms should have remained constant, if not reduced,” he wrote.
The fare hike “demonstrates a complete lack of compassion for the common man”, he added.
The decision of hike in metro fare was taken by the three-member Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) which was formed last year with one representative from the Centre and the Delhi government each and the third, a retired high court judge.
Kejriwal claimed that in implementing the second hike within six months of each other, the FFC’s recommendation of a gap of one year between the two hikes was also ignored.
The first hike was implemented in May this year, while the second one was pressed in on Tuesday this week.
He also said that the three-way partnership between Centre, Delhi government and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was a “facade” which is being used by the corporation for scoring large funding from the Delhi government.
“… DMRC is in no way accountable to the Delhi government, nor does it pay any heed to our directions,” Kejriwal said.
He also remarked on the Centre’s rejection of his government’s offer to pay half the expenses of the Delhi Metro as absurd, for the arrangement, as he claimed, was like “where all losses are required to be borne by the Delhi government even though it has no say whatsoever in the management of DMRC”.
The manner in which the second hike was brought despite ples of postponement by the Delhi government was “high handed, to say the least”, Kejriwal said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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