NEW DELHI: AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has called for a 50% concession on Delhi Metro fares for students, the party said on Friday.
Kejriwal suggested that the cost of the discount should be shared equally by the Centre and the Delhi government, as both are stakeholders in the Delhi Metro.
“To reduce the financial burden on students, I propose to give 50 per cent concession to students in Delhi Metro,” the letter read.
Saif Ali Khan Health Update
Both the Centre and Delhi government have a stake in Delhi Metro and both should bear the expenses incurred from this, Kejriwal said in the letter, adding, “We are planning free bus travel for students from our side.”
“Delhi Metro is a 50:50 joint project between the Delhi Government and the Central Government. Therefore, the expenditure on this should be borne equally by the Delhi Government and the Central Government,” the letter read.
Kejriwal said that the students in Delhi are dependent on the Metro for commuting to schools and colleges and thus, the financial burden on them must be reduced.
“l am writing this letter to draw your attention to an important matter concerning the school and college students of Delhi. The students of Delhi depend largely on the Metro to commute to their school or college,” the letter read.
“From our side, we are planning to make the bus travel completely free for the students,” it added.
Kejriwal also revealed that the AAP government is considering offering free bus travel for students, expanding on its existing scheme of free bus rides for women in the city.
Meanwhile, BJP national president J P Nadda is set to release the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections at 2 pm during a press conference at the BJP state office.
Delhi assembly elections
The Delhi assembly elections are set for February 5, with vote counting scheduled for February 8. The ruling AAP has declared candidates for all 70 seats, while the BJP has named candidates for 59 seats.
The deadline for filing nominations is January 17, followed by scrutiny of nominations on January 18 and the last date for withdrawing candidacies is January 20.
The upcoming elections are shaping up to be a three-way race between the AAP, BJP, and Congress. Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years, has struggled in recent elections, failing to secure any seats. AAP dominated the 2020 elections with 62 out of 70 seats, leaving the BJP with just eight.
