New Delhi: Railway passengers got a relief on Thursday with new railway minister Mukul Roy announcing rollback of an increase of passenger fares, except for luxury classes.
While replying to the railway budget presented by his predecessor Dinesh Trivedi last week, Roy said his ministry was withdrawing the increase in fares in the sleeper, suburban, ordinary second class, AC Chair Car and AC 3-tier classes. The hikes in AC 2-tier, First Class and AC First Class, however, will remain unchanged.
"The proposal to increase hike will impact the aam aadmi (common man). I intend to give relief by not increasing fare in any of these classes - sleeper, suburban, AC chair car and AC 3-tier," Roy announced in the Lok Sabha.
The rollback was expected after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee forced her party colleague Trivedi to step down for increasing passenger fares for the first time in the last 10 years. Roy replaced Trivedi as the new railway minister on Tuesday.
Roy said the proposal for expansion of the Railway Board was being put on hold and announced an aggressive campaign to mop up more resources to upgrade safety measures.
"It is important to run railways economically and safely. There will be a recruitment of 1 lakh (100,000) people in 2012 to 2013. Unmanned level crossing will be removed and we are vigorously working towards that goal. All vacancies in safety areas will be filled up very soon," Roy said.
