The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the CPI (M) slammed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s decision to hike passenger railway fare by 14.2 per cent and fret railway fare by 6.5 per cent here on Friday. TMC MP and party spokesperson Derek O’ Brien pointed out that the fare hike had been done without any discussion in Parliament.
Describing the decision anti-people, he said, “Is this a super rail budget before Rail Budget? Just before the elections there was a rail fare hike.”
Mr. O’Brien said that the fare hike would result in a sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities. Ridiculing Mr. Modi’s election slogan of acche din aane wale hain (good days are about to come), he said, now it seems roney wale din aa gaye hain (the days to cry have arrived).
The CPI (M) will stage demonstrations in front of every railway station in the State in protest against the fare hike on Saturday. CPI (M) State committee chairman Biman Basu condemned the Centre’s move. Accusing the saffron party of not keeping its promise of providing a solution to the people’s sufferings due to the Congress’ misrule, he said soon after coming to power, the Narendra Modi government had started to take such anti-people measures bypassing Parliament. “There will be a flat five per cent increase in freight rates and an additional increase of 1.4 per cent on account of FAC (fuel adjustment component) which was due since April 2014,” said a media release issued by the Ministry of Railways.
“As for passenger fare, there will be a flat 10 per cent increase in all classes. There will be a hike of 4.2 per cent in passenger fares in terms of FAC which was due since April 2014,” said the release.
