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WPI [Welfare Party of India] criticizes interim rail budget, says it’s directionless and detrimental
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Welfare Party of India has criticized the interim rail budget introduced by union minister Mallikarjuna Kharge as disappointing and damaging. Party National General Secretary Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas in a statement alleged the minister for undue favouritism to his home state negating due share and justice to other states.
In allotting new trains and projects, the minister has ignored backwardness and demands pending due for many years from various quarters. Though the minister has played clever tactic of non-hike of fare for the time being, the policy statement of further revision of fares linking with fuel charge is highly damaging and detrimental to the interests of millions of commuters.
Dr. Ilyas alleged that the minister ignores the fact of Indian Railway being the carrier of common people. Leaving fare revision right on the basis of market fuel rate to the tariff regulatory board will be detrimental to the common people, as have been witnessed in the case of petroleum products.
Dr. Ilyas also criticized the minister’s policy to depend for PPP as a source for resource mobilization for expansion and development. PPP practice has been a failure in the past. Welfare Party of India doubts that this is a covert step for gradual privatization of this PSU that gives the largest employment to the countrymen. The Welfare Party is of the strong opinion that required fund can be generated by effective utilization of the resources under possession of the railways and internal mobilization.
Dr. Ilyas also alleged that the intermittent changes of ministerial guards at the top have left the Indian Railways inefficient and directionless. The budget proposals presented in the Parliament by Mr. Kharge do not give details regarding connection and link with earlier announcements made by his predecessors and follow ups made to earlier decisions.
