Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 8 (ANI): BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday said the Karnataka government repeatedly asked the Fare Fixation Committee to increase metro fares.

He further criticised the state government's proposal to increase Bengaluru metro fares by 5 per cent, saying it would burden commuters and urging the state to conduct periodic fare revisions as mandated by law.

Speaking to the reporters, Surya said, 'Over the past few days, the state government has repeatedly blamed the centre for the repeated fare hikes on the Bengaluru metro. Today, I wore a t-shirt that clearly states the argument the state government and its authorities made before the fare fixation committee... Karnataka government officials demanded an upward revision of fares due to the state government's financial position. They also requested that we initiate an automatic annual fare revision process... Because the state is in a weak financial position today, it cannot continue providing the shadow cash support it had been providing for years. They requested that the Fare Fixation Committee not only revise the price upward but also implement an annual automatic fare-fixation formula.'

'Last year, a close to a 105% increase was initiated. Today, they are again proposing a 5% hike. The purpose of public transport will be undermined if metro travel becomes prohibitively expensive. We are once again demanding that the state government initiate the process for periodic fare revisions, as the law mandates. We are asking the state government to initiate this process and rationalise fares so that metro users are not further harassed,' he said.

Further, Surya said India, under PM Modi's leadership, is the world's fastest-growing large economy, and that trade deals with the US, EU, and other partners are being done on India's terms to benefit domestic manufacturers, traders, and farmers while strengthening the country's economy.

The framework for the trade agreement with the United States reduces tariffs on Indian goods in the US to 18 per cent, while Washington has claimed the deal will help it export more agricultural products to New Delhi.

'India is today, under the leadership of PM Modi, the world's fastest-growing large economy... Everybody wants a piece of the India story. Everybody wants a piece of the India growth pie - from the European Union to the Middle East, from Australia to the US. Everyone wants to do trade deals with India, but all of these deals are being done on India's terms,' Surya said.

'We have not compromised the sovereign interests of India in any way... All of these deals will benefit the general public in India. The trade deal between the EU and the US has opened a huge new market for Indian domestic manufacturers, traders, and farmers. This will result in higher per capita incomes, greater savings, more capital, and increased investment in India. This will further strengthen India's already robust, high-performing economy,' he said. (ANI)