'You're So Powerful', Can't Get BMRCL To Publish Fare Fixation Report On Namma Metro? Karnataka High Court Asks In Plea By BJP's Tejasvi Surya

The Karnataka High Court on Monday (July 7) issued notice to the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited, (BMRCL), State and Centre on a petition by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya seeking a direction to the BMRCL to forthwith publish/release the Fare Fixation Committee Report which was headed by former Justice R Tharani.

Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav issued notice to the respondents returnable a week after next week.

During the hearing the court orally observed, “You are so powerful you cannot get the BMRCL to do that much also?".

To which the counsel for Surya replied, “Max we can do is write to them, even the public is also behind them, we meet the Managing Director of BMRCL directly, but they are not responding. They are saying that they are waiting for the state government's approval. I fail to understand that no discretion can be exercised by BMRCL, the act does not give them any discretion.”

The petition states that Surya being a Member of Parliament representing the constituency that is primarily served by Namma Metro, as well as a commuter, made three formal written demands to BMRCL on April 28, 2025, May 8, 2025, and May 15, 2025, seeking publication of the FFC report. However, BMRCL has failed to act on the same.

It further asserts that the petitioner is also a regular commuter of Namma Metro, having used it for both personal and professional commitments since the commencement of its operations. Hence, the Petitioner is directly affected by the decisions taken by BMRCL, it states. 

It is claimed that the said Fare Fixation Committee submitted its report with recommendations for revised fare structure on December 16, 2024, after studying metro systems in India and globally, including visits to Singapore and Hong Kong. By way of Media Release dated 08.02.2025, the BMRCL intimated the general public regarding the receipt of the report of the FFC recommending the revised fare structure.

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.

However, following public outcry and intervention on the part of the Petitioner, BMRCL revised the fare structure on February 14, 2025, capping the maximum increase at approximately 71%, it is stated. 

It is said that “BMRCL, being an instrumentality of the state, must ensure that its policy decisions ought not to be exercised in an unreasonable and unfair manner so as to create hardship for the public at large. Furthermore, rule of reason, rule against arbitrariness, rules of fair play and natural justice are part of the rule of law applicable on actions taken by state instrumentalities in dealing with citizens.”

Further, the petitioner, as well as other citizens of Bengaluru, have a legitimate expectation of transparency in the functioning of the BMRCL based on the established and consistent practice across metro rail corporations in the country.

It is said that in the past, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad metro rail corporations have duly published such reports for the benefit of the general public thereby reflecting transparency in public governance and decision-making process.

Thus, BMRCL's failure to publish the report despite multiple reminders and follow ups is arbitrary and without any rational basis, the plea claims.

Case Title: LS Tejasvi Surya AND Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited & Others.

Appearance: Advocates Anirudh A Kulkarni, Akshay S Vasist, Aravind Suchindran, Vasista R For Petitioner.

Case No: WP 19524/2025