Senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and Investor Cell state chief Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal has questioned the silence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Transport Minister Master Mohal Lal on the issue of reduction of bus fares.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Grewal said that it is a well-known fact that the Orbit Bus Service and other companies owned by the CM and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal ply over 300 buses across Punjab itself.

Grewal said people across Punjab relate Sukhbir Badal’s demand to decrease the fuel prices in the Lok Sabha with his company and Sukhbir’s desire to increase profitability of the bus companies owned by him.

The BJP leader added that the companies owned by Sukhbir Badal are amassing an annual gross profit of over 450 crore at the present cost of 49 paise per km, which is an inordinate burden on the people of Punjab. He further added that it is an opportunity for the father-son duo to reduce the bus fares to 40 paise per km and put the Raj nahi sewa slogan in practise especially with the Lok Sabha elections around the corner.

In his letter addressed to the BJP state president Professor Rajinder Bhandari, Grewal stated that the fuel prices have gone down to the one existing in 2005 but the government has not rolled back the fares to 40 paise yet to reduce the burden on the pockets of over 8.5 lakh passengers travelling everyday on government-owned buses. He added that in addition to government buses, an estimated 5 lakh passengers commute by the buses owned by Sukhbir Badal and other private players.