NEW DELHI, June 20 � In a pre-budget move, cash-strapped railways today effected a steep across-the-board hike of 14.2 per cent in passenger fares in all classes and a 6.5 per cent increase in freight rates to garner Rs 8000 crore a year, reports PTI.
The decision, which will come into effect from June 25, marks implementation of an announcement of May 16, the day Lok Sabha election results came, when the hike was announced but put on hold immediately.
In a flip-flop, the Ministry first announced that today�s hike will be implemented with immediate effect but later changed it to June 25, saying the officials needed time to execute it.
Announcing the decision, less than a month after the NDA government took over, Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda said, �I was forced to implement the order that was done by my predecessor. I am only withdrawing the withholding order.�
He said the interim budget presented by the previous government had assumed certain revenues on the basis of the proposed hike that was announced on May 16.
�Meeting the annual expenditure would not be possible unless the revised rates as finalised by previous government is implemented, hence order of withdrawing implementation of revised fare and freight has been withdrawn,� said the Railway Ministry, which is incurring a loss of about Rs 900 crore per month in passenger segment.
�Accordingly, the revised passenger fare and freight rates and freight structure rationalization will come into effect from June 25, 2014,� it said in a statement.
The hike was announced nearly a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country should be ready for �tough decisions� required to improve the financial health.
The Railway Budget will be presented in Parliament in the first week of next month.
Two days back, Gowda had said he would meet the Prime Minister before announcing the hike.
