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Journalism of Courage
The BJP on Thursday demanded a rollback of passenger train fares effected on January 22,saying it was fare hike through the backdoor since it was ahead of rail budget.
The call came from BJP MP Anurag Thakur,who was speaking for his party initiating the discussion on rail budget,even though the budget had not hiked fares this time.
The railway minister had increased the passenger fares by as much as 21 per cent before the budget and also hiked reservation charges and other fees burdening the common man. We want the hikes to be rolled back, he said adding that it was the budget for Rae Bareli and Chandigarh and not for the entire nation. Rae Bareli is the Lok Sabha constituency of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi,while Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal represents Chandigarh.
Expressing concern over the rising number of accidents at unmanned level crossings,Thakur said the Centre had set up a Rail Safety Fund for Rs 17,000 crore during the NDA rule and that is the only boost to safety upgrade the national transporter has seen since then. It was because of former PM AB Vajpayees government that railways has seen any safety upgrade, he said.
Members cutting across party lines asked Bansal to take steps to improve safety and service in Indian Railways.
