Govt taking decisions on railways through executive orders:CPI

Hitting out at the Centre for taking decisions regarding railways allegedly through executive orders than announcing them in the budget, CPI today said the practice of presenting the financial plans annually should be "abolished".
CPI also countered the government's claim that it has not hiked rail fares and freight charges in its budget, noting the Railways has already increased rates "at least half a dozen times" in the run up to presentation of the financial plan for 2016-17.
The Left party claimed that estimates suggested that rail fare has gone up by 15 per cent during last year and expressed fears that the charges may go up further "putting fresh burden on the common people" once the budget session was over.

"These are all done by executive orders as these financial issues are no more to be announced through budget. Better to abolish this practice of presenting the rail budget," the party said.
Claiming the government allegedly plans to privatise services related to the railway and sell out land in its possession, the CPI expressed fears that all national assets will be handed over to "real backers" of the NDA government, the corporate sector, under the Modi regime now.
While presenting the rail budget yesterday, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had desisted from raising fares and freight rates.
Unlike last year, when he tweaked freight rates to mop up an additional Rs 4,000 crore, Prabhu made no fresh changes either in passenger fares or freight rates.