White paper on railways functioning a blank paper: Lalu

Describing the white paper presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ministry's functioning during his regime as a "blank paper", RJD chief Lalu Prasad said the document lacked vetting by the Union cabinet or CAG and warranted breach of privilege.

Describing the white paper presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ministry's functioning during his regime as a "blank paper", RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Monday said the document lacked vetting by the Union cabinet or CAG and warranted breach of privilege.

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"I treat it (white paper) as blank paper as it doesn't carry anything other than old information," the former railway minister told a press conference here.

"There is nothing in the white paper that Mamata bahen tabled. However, the paper has not proved that I was telling a lie... Rather it has appreciated the steps and performance the Railways pulled off during my tenure," he said.

Going by the history of accounting system and procedure for introducing accounting changes in Indian Railways, he said it could be made after examination in the office of the financial commissioner of Indian Railways and then sent to other appropriate authorities.

"The white paper was presented without the approval of Union cabinet and therefore, it also warrants breach of privilege... The Prime Minister and several top authorities are aware of what is there in the so called white paper," he said.

"But it is a different matter that I do not want to get involved in small things... Mine was the golden period in the history of Railways," Prasad added.