Puducherry: AIADMK seeks roll back of bus fare hike

Puducherry, Aug 18: AIADMK State Secretary and MLA A Anbazhagan, today demanded the immediate rollback of the hike in bus fare for town buses which came into force today.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Anbazhagan said the reasons cited by the bus operators for the hike was not true.

When tax for diesel was 21.43 per cent in Tamil Nadu, it was only 12.5 per cent in Puducherry and the tax for tyre and tube was 12.5 per cent in Tamil Nadu as against eight per cent in Puducherry.

For several other items also, the tax was less compared to Tamil Nadu.

When the bus fare in Tamil Nadu was not hiked, a hike in Puducherry could not be accepted, he added.

Ridiculing the Ministers for failure to take any action on the memorandum of the bus operators and allowing them to hike the fares on their own, Mr Anbazhagan said, ''The Cabinet was plunged into groupism.'' He pointed out ''Under Clause 86 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 any fare hike on their own is punishable and their permits could be cancelled''.

Hence, the administration should initiate action against the bus operators, he demanded.

UNI