Tejasvi Surya moves Karnataka High Court for release of report behind Bengaluru Metro fare hike

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya has filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court questioning the alleged reluctance of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to release a report that formed the basis for the Bengaluru Metro fare hike [LS Tejasvi Surya v. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited and ors]..Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav issued notice in the matter on Monday and listed the case for hearing the week after next. .During the brief hearing today, the judge also quipped, "You (Tejasvi Surya) are so powerful; you can't get BMRCL to do that (disclose the report)?""We have written to them, we met MD directly; they are saying they are waiting for the State's approval. The public is also behind them (to release the report)," replied Surya's counsel. He further argued that the BMRCL has no discretionary power to withhold the release of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report..Surya's petition, filed through Advocate Anirudh A Kulkarni, recounted that the FFC was constituted on September 7, 2024, under the Chairmanship of retired Madras High Court judge Justice R Tharani, to recommend a revised fare structure for metro trains operated by BMRCL.The FFC submitted its report in December 2024, on the basis of which Bengaluru metro fares were substantially hiked with effect from February 2025."Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, BMRCL implemented a substantial fare hike on February 9, 2025, increasing fares by up to 100% in some cases, with maximum fare rising from Rs. 60 to Rs. 90, making Namma Metro the most expensive metro system in India," the plea said..Surya added that he had earlier raised concerns in Parliament that the increased fare put a major burden on commuters. After a public outcry, the hiked fares were reduced to some extent in February itself, capping the maximum fare increase at 71 per cent.Later, in April, Surya formally requested the BMRCL to release a copy of the FFC report in the public domain. However, the BMRCL failed to do so, prompting Surya to send a follow-up letter in May this year. Surya added that he also came to know that several others, including media personnel, had made Right to Information (RTI) requests for the disclosure of this FFC report, to no avail. "Till date, BMRCL has not acted upon the Petitioner's letters or public requests for release of the FFC report," his plea added. Therefore, he has now sought the Court's intervention in the matter. "BMRCL is a joint venture of Government of India and Government of Karnataka that uses public funds and has a constitutional duty to function transparently without claiming immunity from its obligation to disclose the Report of the FFC, more so, when the decision to hike the fare that affects the general public, stems from the said Report," his plea underscored.