NDA MPs demand reduction in Mumbai suburban rail fares
Agencies
New Delhi, 24 June 2014: The Narendra Modi government has come under pressure from its own MPs to reduce the hike in the suburban rail fare in Mumbai with 10 BJP and Shiv Sena MPs meeting railway minister Sadananda Gowda on Monday to press for a roll back.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said Gowda assured them of a "positive" decision on their demand and added an announcement to this effect could be made in a few days.
The recent hike in rail fares has led to a steep increase in the prices of monthly passes for Mumbai local trains. They sees the heaviest rush among all suburban rail networks and are a lifeline of Maharashtra capital and India’s commercial hub.
The MPs said that people in their area were deeply upset about the rise in monthly fares and Gowda "agreed" with them that the hike of over 150 per cent in some cases was not good.
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"The minister said Railway Board officials will meet soon and a relief will be announced," another BJP MP Kapil Patil said.
The state is going to polls later this year and the leaders of BJP-Shiv Sena alliance do not want the hike to spoil their chances of winning the polls.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has publicly flayed the decision and demanded a rollback.
Somiaya said Gowda has also assured them that more facilities will be provided to suburban travellers and security will be enhanced.
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| Philip Mudartha, Navi Mumbai | Tue, June-24-2014, 5:20 |
| The ten MPs must instead expedite restructuring Mumbai Suburban Train Services. 1. Transfer railway assets within Mumbai Metropolitan Region which are now under operational control of both CR and WR zonal offices to Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC). 2. Raise equity capital for MRVC through IPO. Convert entire over subscription into capital. 3. Turn MRVC as an autonomous company run by BOD elected by share-holders responsible to turn it into a profitable enterprise even without passengers riding them free. The entire cost of operations and profits may be earned only by commercialization of its land and airspace assets. 4. All its staff involved in unproductive work like ticketing, checking and operations of automated ticket machines shall be re-trained to man the platforms and coaches with new jobs: passenger services and protection. 5. Over next five years, complete a full technical overhaul of trains to higher speed, low weight, value-engineered rakes. There are hundreds of suggestions by project case studies by local engineering and management schools published for years. Structural changes MPs, not begging for mercy! | |
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