NDA's ally RPI(A) demands cut in recently increased rail fares

NEW DELHI: Government should consider reducing the rail passenger fares as they were on the higher side, an NDA constituent said in the Rajya Sabha today.

"The railway passenger fares have been increased by 14.2 per cent. This was required also as the fares had not been hiked for very long. But this hike is too much. Reduce the passenger fares by 4.2 per cent and the freight charges by 2.5 per cent," RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale said.

He was participating in the debate on Railway Budget in the Rajya Sabha.

The NDA government hiked the freight charges by 6.5 per cent and passenger fares by 14.5 per cent before the presentation of Railway budget on July 8.

Athawale said the fares should have been hiked after "six-seven months" as this was done soon after the government took over and people ask me is this how "good days will come".

He supported the budget saying this will definitely bring good days for the country.

The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief said the government should take money from industrialists such as Tata, Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani whose business benefits from rail lines, to complete projects.

RPI(A) is a party from Maharashtra and joined the NDA sometime back before the Lok Sabha elections.