E-Paper
Upper class fares may see modest hike in Rail Budget
The marginal hike in upper class fares is not expected to be more than 5% and there might be rationalisation of tariffs for AC class.
Amidst a planned Opposition boycott of him on the issue of "tainted" ministers, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad will present his maiden Budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that is widely expected to be pro-poor with no increase in second class suburban and passenger fares and freight charges.
But at the same time the upper class fares are likely to be marginally increased in the 2004-05 Budget to meet the ever increasing fuel costs even while ensuring they do not become uncompetitive, Rail Bhavan official sources said.
With most of the high-density railway lines over saturated, it is quite unlikely that Laloo Prasad will not introduce many new trains, a popular measure that is adopted in most of the railway budgets to fulfill regional aspirations.
"I will present it on July 6 whether somebody listens or not. Through Parliament, I would inform and address the Indian public.... I don't care, damn care," Prasad said in an interview unmindful of the Opposition threat to boycott and disrupt proceedings in Parliament.
He will present the first Rail Budget of the UPA Government at 1200 hrs in the Lower House.
Opposition parties led by BJP have been demanding removal of "tainted" ministers, including Laloo Prasad, in Manmohan Singh Government.
The marginal hike in upper class fares is not expected to be more than five per cent, the sources said adding there might be rationalisation of tariffs for air-conditioned class keeping in mind seasonal rise and fall of occupancy rate in long distance trains.
The sources cited the example of reduction of fares by 10 per cent from July 15 to September 15 last year by the then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Janshatabdi Express trains in order to increase the occupancy, which they claimed was a "runaway success".
This "flexi-tariff" may also be extended to air-conditioned class for long distance mail and express trains in order to push the revenue from passenger front upwards, they said.
