Mamata hints at revoking Lalu's 'pass' largesse

May revoke order of life-long first class rail pass for ex-ministers.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to undo many decisions of her predecessor Lalu Prasad. Today she took the first step by hinting that she might revoke Prasad’s self-benefitting order of life-long first class rail pass for former railway ministers along with three companions.

Former railway minister of state, BJP’s Ram Naik, had recently shot a letter to Banerjee for scraping Prasad’s order. Banerjee today told reporters: “I agree with what Ram Naik has said.”

On May 19, three days before quitting the office, Prasad had issued an order to give a life-long complimentary pass to travel in AC first class coaches for self along with three companions. Banerjee, who doesn’t use red beacon-fitted car entitled for ministers and foots her own food bills, today clearly signalled that she would not allow Lalu’s largesse to continue.

“If we give more seats to ministers, then common people will suffer. This means we deprive common people from getting tickets,” Banerjee said. When asked if she is withdrawing the order, she replied, “You should understand what I mean to say. I can’t say everything in public as it involves a former railway minister, who is a respected man.”

Earlier, only the former railway minister and one companion were entitled for free rail travel for life.

Prasad’s order was also meant to benefit former ministers of state for railways. They became entitled to free travel for life with a sole companion and one attendant in AC first class coaches.

In his letter, Naik wrote, “It is my firm belief that taking such a decision benefiting himself personally after the results of Lok Sabha election is improper and unethical.”

Land acquisition for railway projects
Banerjee also sought to dispel apprehension about the land acquisition for railway projects saying “it is different” from other government projects. The Trinamool Congress chief, who led a fierce and successful political battle against the land acquisition policy of the Left Front government in West Bengal, pointed out that railways do not require large tracts of land but “narrow stretches” for its infrastructure development.

Significantly, Banerjee will also present her party’s views on the UPA government’s proposed land acquisition act amendments and the rehabilitation and resettlement policy. She was in the Opposition and couldn’t get a chance to talk to the government when the twin proposals related to land were formulated during the previous UPA regime. “Now we have been asked to submit our proposals and views to the rural development ministry. We will soon give our views on this issue.”

There were recent reports saying Banerjee had transferred a railway official for trying to evict encroachers from railway land. But today, she said, “I am not in favour of encroachments. In fact, it was during my previous term in the railway ministry when commercial utilisation of railway properties had started.”