Trinamool demands fare hike withdrawal (Lead)

March 14th, 2012 - 8:17 pm ICT by IANS  

New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress Wednesday opposed the fare hike announced by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who is from the same party, saying it wanted a roll-back.

“We oppose the rail fare hike. We want the government to roll-back. It is not in the interest of the common man,” Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandyopadhyay told NDTV.

When asked if the party did not know about the fare hike before the budget was announced, Bandyopadhyay said: “We maintain constitutional secrecy and party never discussed anything about the rail budget before it was presented in the Lok Sabha.”

“If the price rise has taken place then we must be fair to announce that the interest of poor people is more important than an individual,” he said.

Another TMC MP Derek O’Brien said that the government should have only increased the upper class fares.

“What was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class…maybe ok…but all? Sorry, cannot agree. Our party has issues on content of the budget,” he said on Twitter.

For mail and express trains, the second class fare increase will be 3 paise per km, for sleeper class 5 paise per km, for AC chair car, AC three tier and first class categories 10 paise per km and for AC two tier category, the increase will be 15 paise per km.

The fare increases are the first in 10 years.

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