It is really disturbing that the people of Jammu region have been subjected to an extra monetary burden in the shape of a 7 percent hike in public transport fare starting April 1, 2025 after the Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) made this announcement. What is more painful is the fact that the NC government has set the same deadline for giving free rides to members of the fair sex family in all the government public transport traversing across the Union Territory.
Interestingly, the fare revision has been implemented following directives from the Finance Department, which justifies the move as an attempt to bring tariffs in line with rising operational expenses while ensuring efficient service delivery.
Isn’t the government’s move is Over Smart because it wanted to come to the good books of the people especially the womenfolk by offering free rides to them in public transport but surprisingly it has started taking extra bucks from the people itself in the shape of increase in fares starting from Jammu region as JSCL transport’s jurisdiction comes under various districts of Jammu Division.
Looking at this move, who knows that the helmsmen will emulate the fare hike decision in Valley also putting the burden of free rides to women on the hapless public of the UT, which is already struggling to cope up with the ever increasing inflation as the cost of essential commodities have been touching the ceilings for quite some time now despite the central government’s assurances and promises about containing skyrocketing prices and bringing the so-called Achhe Din.
It seems that the NC government has also decided to make fool of the electorate by manipulating things and divulging things in a twisted manner so that gullible population could be bamboozled and deceived for petty political gains otherwise what was the fun of announcing free rides to women and then increasing the fare of public transport for the remaining population.
It will not be surprising if tomorrow the J&K State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) follows suit and increases fares in response to JSCL’s fare hike. This would only reaffirm the deceptive nature of these so-called welfare measures.
It appears that those holding the reins of power in J&K are engaging in a calculated deception. Otherwise, they would not have simultaneously hiked fares while announcing free rides for women. The justification given for increasing fares—covering rising operational costs and maintaining service efficiency—seems nothing more than a smokescreen to extract more money from the public while masquerading as a pro-people initiative.
