Ahead of Delhi Assembly Polls, Kejriwal Demands 50% Metro Fare Concession For Students In Letter To PM Modi

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve a 50% fare reduction for students using the Delhi Metro. In a letter, Kejriwal proposed that both the Centre and the Delhi government share the cost of this concession equally, as they are both stakeholders in the metro system.

Kejriwal highlighted that students in Delhi heavily rely on the Metro for their daily commute to educational institutions. He emphasised that reducing their financial burden is crucial. "To reduce the financial burden on students, I propose to give 50 per cent concession to students in Delhi Metro," he stated in his letter.

Delhi Metro Fare Concession Proposal

The letter further explained that since Delhi Metro is a joint venture between the Central and Delhi governments, both should equally bear the expenses of this initiative. "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," Kejriwal wrote.

In addition to this proposal, Kejriwal mentioned plans to make bus travel free for students. This move would expand on an existing scheme that offers free bus rides for women in Delhi. "From our side, we are planning to make the bus travel completely free for the students," he added.

Upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections

Meanwhile, BJP's national president J P Nadda is scheduled to release their party's manifesto for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections at 2 pm during a press conference at their state office. The elections are set for February 5, with vote counting on February 8.

The AAP has announced candidates for all 70 seats in these elections. The BJP has named candidates for 59 seats so far. The deadline for filing nominations is January 17, with scrutiny on January 18 and withdrawal of candidacies by January 20.

This election is expected to be a three-way contest involving AAP, BJP, and Congress. Congress previously ruled Delhi for 15 years but has struggled recently, failing to win any seats in past elections. In contrast, AAP secured a significant victory in 2020 by winning 62 out of 70 seats while BJP managed only eight.