Delhi Metro’s minimum fare was increased from Rs 8 to Rs 10 while maximum from Rs 30 to Rs 50 in May this year.

The new fare hike will make metro rides costlier by a maximum of Rs 10 for those who travel over two kilometers. The hike will be the second in eight years.

Kejriwal has termed as “anti-people” the proposed Delhi metro hike, which will affect an estimated 28 lakh people who take the metro daily in the national capital region that includes parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

In a letter to Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Kejriwal also said his government was willing to provide half of the funds required by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to meet the gap in operating finances but only if a matching grant is provided by the Centre.

“If the central government agrees, the Delhi government would be willing to takeover DMRC. We are confident that we will be able to fund DMRC by improving its efficiency rather than effecting steep fare hikes and provide affordable means of transport of Delhi people,” Kejriwal in the letter to Puri.

“I can understand your reservation about issuing a direction under the DMRC Act, the simpler course would be to advise the nominees of the central and Delhi government on the board of DMRC to postpone the hike for a few months,” Kejriwal added, though such a possibility looks remote.

The chief minister’s offer came a day after Puri said the Delhi government will have to pay Rs 3,000 crore annually for five years to put off the metro fare hike, set to be implemented from Tuesday.

AAP threatens to launch protests over increase in Delhi Metro fares. The Delhi assembly is likely to pass a proposal against the fare hike on Monday as this was earlier moved by Gahlot Delhi transport minister.