Lalu's vote-on-account may contain sops

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad is likely to dole out some sops to the travellers when he presents the interim railway budget in Parliament on February 13.

Prasad, who has spared the public from the upward hike in the passenger fares despite increase in global prices of crude oil in the past five years of UPA rule, may this time announce some populist schemes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Besides highlighting ministry's achievements in the last five years, the interim budget is likely to have proposals for introduction of more Garib Raths.

As the Railways have already hiked the freight rate of food-grains and fertilisers by 8.3 per cent from early February, it is likely that the freight and passenger fare will remain unchanged.

While the budget is likely to register the cash surplus before paying dividend at about Rs 25,000 crore, the operating ratio is also expected to be more than last year's 76 per cent.

The implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission for the railway employees is the reason for the higher operating ratio in the current year than the last financial year, said a senior official of the ministry.