Mamata spares train travellers from hike in fares

New Delhi,Feb 24 (PTI) India's Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee Wednesday lived upto popular expectations by not
raising fares and freight rates in her Budget and marginally
reduced the tariff for transportation of foodgrains,
fertiliser and kerosene to fight price rise.
Presenting the Railway Budget for 2010-11 that did not
raise passenger fares for the seventh year in a row, she also
announced free travel in trains for cancer patients for
treatment in sleeper and AC-III classes and reduced service
charges on e-booking of tickets by Rs five and Rs 20 in
sleeper and all AC classes respectively.
Declaring there would be no privatisation of railways,
the minister announced plans for involvement of the private
sector in various projects for which business models would be
developed.
The Opposition slammed her Budget with Bhartiya Janata
Party (BJP) calling it a "mockery" of the Budget exercise,
while the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said it
would lead to "wholesale" privatisation of cream projects that
would reduce earnings and halt progress, a charge she denied.
While the Budget projects an "excess" of Rs 951 crore
after payment of dividend in the current year, surplus for the
next year has been pegged at Rs 3,173 crore after dividend
payout to the general Budget. (MORE) PTI