Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Deputy Leader in the Telangana Assembly, T. Harish Rao, on Sunday, 18 October 2026, sharply criticised the Congress government in Telangana for raising Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus fares during the festive season, calling it an 'extortion' of ordinary passengers at a time when families are travelling home for Bathukamma and Dussehra.

Key Allegations Against the Fare Hike

Harish Rao alleged that regular buses are being relabelled as 'festival special' services without any increase in the actual fleet, allowing the government to charge higher fares on the same routes. He called this practice 'atrocious', arguing that reducing routine bus services and then introducing premium-priced alternatives amounts to picking passengers' pockets.

According to Rao, the ticket fare on the JBS (Secunderabad) to Karimnagar route has surged from ₹230 to ₹400 — a jump of over 73%. On the Mahabubnagar to MGBS (Hyderabad) route, fares have reportedly risen from ₹220 to over ₹290. 'By doubling ticket fares across all routes in the state, you are draining people's pockets and stripping away the joy of the festive season,' he said, addressing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directly.

Five Fare Hikes in Three Years, BRS Argues

Harish Rao stated that the Congress government has hiked RTC fares five times since coming to power. He questioned whether Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had adopted a deliberate policy of raising fares each time a festival approached. 'Instead of offering gifts to the people during the Bathukamma and Dussehra festivals, it is shameful to exploit them by doubling ticket prices,' he said in a statement.

This comes amid broader discontent over rising costs of living in Telangana. Critics argue that the timing of these hikes — coinciding with festival travel peaks — places a disproportionate burden on lower- and middle-income households who rely on public bus services for intercity travel.

The Free Women's Travel Concession Under Scrutiny

The BRS leader also questioned the Congress government's flagship free travel scheme for women. Harish Rao argued that the policy effectively shifts the financial burden within households rather than providing genuine relief. 'If a wife gets a free ticket, her husband is charged double. Can this truly be called a concession for women — or is it merely shifting the financial burden back onto the same family?' he said.

Notably, the free travel scheme for women has been a marquee welfare promise of the Telangana Congress government. Rao's framing attempts to recast it as a hollow concession that inflates costs elsewhere.

BRS Demands Immediate Rollback

Harish Rao demanded that the government immediately roll back what he described as 'exorbitant fare hikes imposed in the name of the festive season.' He also urged the authorities to ensure regular bus services operate at normal frequency, so that poor and middle-class citizens are not forced to pay premium rates simply to reach their hometowns during festivals.

'The approach of the Revanth-led government has created a situation where the poor and middle class are now afraid to even travel to their hometowns for festivals,' the former minister said. With the festive season at its peak, the government is yet to respond to the BRS's demands.