Farmers are struggling because of drought, common people are bearing the brunt of inflation, and many families find it hard to make ends meet. Asking why people should be burdened with extra fares, Transport Minister and ST Corporation chairman Pratap Sarnaik has rejected the proposed 15% seasonal fare hike for the Diwali rush.
Every year, ST fares are raised seasonally during the Diwali rush. This year too, the ST administration proposed a 15% fare increase for November 1 to 15, 2026, and sent the proposal to the minister. But Sarnaik said it would not be right to add to the burden on people already facing financial strain. "I will not rub the salt of a fare hike into the wounds of people in distress," he said, putting public interest first.
The ST Corporation may face financial losses, but it would not be right to recover them from ordinary passengers. The red bus, the 'Lalpari', is an integral part of daily life for lakhs of people in rural Maharashtra. For farmers, farm labourers, students, employees, senior citizens and workers, it is an important means of affordable travel. A fare hike would have directly hit their daily expenses. For families already in trouble due to the drought, bearing this extra burden would have been especially hard.
"The government is sensitive, and in times of crisis it will not leave farmers and common people in the lurch," Sarnaik said, expressing confidence. He said understanding people's difficulties and giving them relief is the government's responsibility. Financial calculations matter, he said, but people's suffering and their struggle to survive must also be taken into account.
'We will overcome difficulties through other means'
Alternative solutions must be found to overcome the ST Corporation's financial difficulties. Providing safe, reliable and affordable passenger service from remote villages to cities is the corporation's basic duty. He made clear that instead of putting the burden of financial losses directly on passengers, other ways should be found. "In times of crisis, wiping the tears from people's eyes matters more than reaching into their pockets. We will find other ways to overcome ST's financial difficulties, but we will not forget our duty to give relief to people in trouble," said Sarnaik, rejecting the proposed hike and deciding to give relief to ordinary passengers.