Train fare hikes rolled back for 2nd class, Sleeper, AC Chair Car, 3-AC

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The controversial hike in rail passenger fares was rolled back for all classes except AC 2 Tier and First Class by the new Indian Railway Minister Mukul Roy, overturning the decision of his predecessor Dinesh Trivedi, who lost his job on account of his bold proposals. Mukul Roy, who was inducted into the Indian Cabinet and the Railway Ministry on Tuesday, announced the roll back of the fare increase for second class suburban and non-suburban, Sleeper, AC Chair Car and AC 3-tier in the Lok Sabha, lower house of Parliament, on Thursday, dubbing it as a "huge drain" on the pocket of masses. He, however, left untouched the increase in passenger fares in AC 2-tier and AC-I announced by Trivedi in the Railway Budget only last week. The Minister did not not give the financial implications of the roll back decision. But Trivedi in his budget had assumed an income of Rupees 40.0 billion (about USD 800 million) on account of the hike but the roll back could result in a loss of Rs.30.0 billon (about USD 600 million), officials said. Trivedi's decision to hike rail fares was the first in eight years since the United Progressive Alliance coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to power. Neither Trivedi nor Singh, who had praised his budget, was present in the House. Replying to the debate on the Budget, Roy also put on hold Trivedi's proposal of setting up a committee to examine whether there should be an independent tariff regulatory authority and scrapped a move to expand the Railway Board. After Roy's 20-minute speech, the House passed the Vote on Account and the relevant Appropriation Bills, as well as a resolution to adopt recommendations of the second report of the Railway Convention Committee by voice vote. He said the Railways would launch an "aggressive drive to mop up resources from non-conventional sources" like public-private partnership (PPP) projects would be carried out on a fast-track. Advertising as a source of revenue was not being fully explored, he said, adding that there would be "a focused approach" on using the vacant land and airspace with the railways to raise resources. PTI