New Delhi: BJP members charged the Railways with hiking train fares surreptiously without taking Parliament in confidence.
During Question Hour, agitated members of the opposition contended that Railways, simply by changing the nomenclature of trains, has started charging fares higher ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 40 per ticket.
They also expressed annoyance at the absence of Rail Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
BJP member Rudra Narayan Pany, while asking a question as to the number of trains converted as superfast, said the Railways was only changing the labels without really improving the services.
"The number two is changed to number eight and number eight is changed to some other figure and the train becomes superfast," he said.
He was supported by senior party leaders like M Venkiah Naidu and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha who said "it is not a question of upgrading trains, but charging higher fares without taking Parliament into confidence."
Even Congress member P J Kurien said he found no justification in converting the trains to super fast category without getting scientific studies done regarding the capacity of the tracks to bear the kind of load.
However, Minister of State for Railways representing Lalu Prasad said, it was not only the change in nomenclature.
"We are giving improved speed and services as well," he said.
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