Centre has not received any proposal from Delhi government: Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi: The Centre has not received any proposal from the AAP government on providing free rides to women in the Delhi Metro, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said on Thursday.

"No, Sir," said Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri to a written question by TMC MP Saugata Roy in Lok Sabha on whether the Union government has any proposal for free rides for women in Delhi Metro Train.

When asked whether the government of Delhi has requested and sent any proposal in this regard to the Union government for approval, Puri said,"No, Sir." The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had earlier this month announced that women would get to ride the Delhi Metro and DTC buses free of cost.

Reacting to this, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the DMRC has submitted a proposal regarding the scheme to his government and that he was committed to provide free metro rides to women. "On our request, Del Metro has submitted its proposal.

In principle, their proposal is agreeable to us. However, Delhi govt is studying its details. I repeat that, as announced, Delhi govt is committed to provide free metro rides to women," Kejriwal tweeted.

Delhi government official Nagendra Sharma also said that providing free rides to women is the proposal of the Delhi government and it will bear the cost by paying directly to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). "It is a Delhi government proposal and the Delhi government will bear the cost and paying directly to the DMRC. TMC MP's Q was whether Centre has any proposal! Please do not be confused," he tweeted.