The Election Commission has asked the Railway Ministry to put on hold implementation of the free monthly season tickets to girls up to college level in the five assembly poll-bound states including West Bengal where Mamata Banerjee is seeking to vote out ruling Left Front.
The Commission had written to the Railway Board in this regard on Monday.
The Board had earlier sought certain clarifications from the EC on its direction that the implementation of the announcements made by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Rajya Sabha on March 8 be deferred in the poll-going states -- West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry -- till the election process was over.
The EC said the prohibition on implementation of the announcement applied only in relation to the concession of giving free monthly season tickets to girls up to the college level.
Winding up a discussion on the Rail Budget 2011/12, Ms. Banerjee said “all girls up to college level will get free monthly seasonal tickets.”
