Realising that there might not be a change of heart on part of the Finance Ministry on the decision to bring railway fares under the Service Tax net,the Railway Ministry has asked its zonal railways to be ready for imposing the tax on passengers from July.
Sources said that the ministry has written to all the zones asking them to be in a state of readiness for the revision,which may see a 3.6 per cent hike in the fares of the air-conditioned classes unless,of course,the Finance Ministry issues a fresh notification this month extending the exemption.
As a last-ditch attempt,Railway Boards Finance Commissioner Vijaya Kanth also wrote a letter to the Finance Ministry on Tuesday seeking a continuation of the three-month exemption from Service Tax that the Railways has been enjoying since April. But sources said that Railway Board officials do not see the possibility of an extension as yet.
The Finance Ministry revised the negative list of Service Tax last week excluding the air-conditioned classes from the exemption.
Railway Minister Mukul Roy had written to outgoing Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee last week requesting another extension but there was no reply.