By IANS,
New Delhi : Proposing the first fare hike in 10 years, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi may have earned praise from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the latest rail budget but his own party members are up in arms with some even wanting his ouster.
“I have taken the Indian Railways out of the ICU (intensive care unit). Had I not taken these measures the staff would not have gotten their salaries,” Trivedi said soon after presenting his maiden rail budget, referring to the proposals for fare hikes.
But his Trinamool Congress party, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who incidentally was Trivedi’s predecessor at Rail Bhavan, did not buy the argument, opposed as it has always been to any move that burdens average travellers.
“We oppose the rail fare hike. We want the government to roll it back. It is not in the interest of the common man,” his party colleague and Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandyopadhyay said immediately after rail budget presenting outside parliament.
Another party colleague and Rajya Sabha lawmaker Derek o’Brien, also the spokesperson for Trinamool, said his party has issues over the railway budget. “What was all that about increasing fares across the board?” he tweeted.
“Upper class… maybe, ok… but all? Sorry, cannot agree.”
Addressing a public rally in Nandigram, Banerjee said she was not consulted on the fare hike and that she will convince the government to roll it back. “We will not allow rail fares to be hiked,” she said.
Later when the signals of opposition from Trinamool Congress became amply clear, Trivedi said he was willing to resign if Banerjee wanted him to do so. “She is my leader. She made me minister. Even a hint is enough,” he said during an interview.
“But I have to do whatever is good for the railways. Losing the chair is no consequence.”
The remarks came against the backdrop of some murmurs in the corridors of power in the national capital and in Kolkata over demands for his ouster from the cabinet for total disragard to the stated policy of his party of no fare hikes.
For the record, however, Trivedi managed to secure support from some of allies within the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represents the Congress party, the largest constituent.
“The railway minister has presented a forward-looking budget with emphasis on safety and modernisation of Indian Railways,” Singh said in a statement, adding it also meets what is required in a budget that signals the start of the 12th Five Year Plan.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference is also a UPA ally, was more vocal in support of Trivedi. “We take populism to ridiculous levels,” he tweeted.
“I genuinely believe people would happily accept the modest hike if safety and quality of service is better.”