Fare hike: 'Maha not keen on forming broad-based committee'

The government would, however, like to justify the recommendations of the one-man committee appointed by the state, it told the court.

A division bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and R G Ketkar had last month come down heavily on the state government for basing its decision to hike fares on the recommendations made by one retired civil servant.

The bench, while observing that such important decisions affecting lakhs of commuters cannot be taken on one man's recommendations, directed the state government to consider forming a broad-based committee comprising of experts from different fields to analyse and see if the fare hike was correct.

Additional government pleader S S Shinde today told the court that in a meeting conducted yesterday between concerned ministers and secretaries, the government has decided to first file an affidavit justifying the fare hike.

"Before forming a broad-based committee, the government wants to first file an affidavit justifying the one-man committee and its recommendations. If the court is not satisfied, then it can direct the government to form another committee," Shinde said.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO 'Mumbai Grahak Panchayat' challenging the recent hike in fares. The hike, which came into effect last month, is the steepest that the city has seen.

The petitioner's advocate Uday Warunjikar argued that the new tariff card does not include column of waiting charges. "Apart from waiting charges, there are several other loopholes in the committee recommendations and the government resolution increasing the fare," Warunjikar said.

Directing the state government to file its affidavit by November 22, the court has asked the petitioner to amend the petition to include all the grievances and loopholes.