Sarnaik rejects 15% Diwali fare hike proposal for ST buses

Passengers travelling by ST bus this Diwali season will not have to pay more for tickets. Transport Minister and ST Mahamandal chairman Pratap Sarnaik has rejected a proposed 15% seasonal fare hike. With drought and rising inflation already straining ordinary people, the decision brings major relief to commuters during the festival rush.

The ST Mahamandal raises fares seasonally every year during the Diwali crowds. This time too, the ST administration had placed before Sarnaik a proposal for a uniform 15% increase for all passengers between November 1 and November 15, 2026. Sarnaik rejected it, saying it was not right to burden people who are already in financial distress.

The decision was taken keeping in mind farmers hit by drought, households coping with higher expenses due to inflation, and people struggling to make ends meet. Stating his position, Sarnaik said, "I cannot accept rubbing salt into the wounds of people already beset by crises by giving them the shock of a fare hike."

For lakhs of people in rural Maharashtra, the ST's "Lalpari" is a vital means of travel. Farmers, farm labourers, students, salaried workers, the elderly and the working class depend heavily on ST services. A 15% increase would have raised their daily expenses, and families whose finances have worsened because of the drought would have found the extra burden hard to bear.

Sarnaik clarified that the ST Mahamandal is indeed running at a loss, but it is not right to make passengers bear the burden of making up for it. The transport minister expressed confidence that farmers and ordinary citizens would not be left helpless in times of crisis. He said it is the government's responsibility to understand people's difficulties and give them relief.

According to him, it is the Mahamandal's duty to provide safe, reliable and affordable service from remote villages to cities. He underlined that other ways must therefore be found to overcome the financial difficulties. "Wiping the tears from people's eyes is more important than putting a hand in their pockets," he said, as he rejected the proposed fare hike. The decision has thus been taken not to place any additional financial burden on passengers during Diwali.