AAP "shocked" over Railway fares hike

"The Aam Aadmi Party is shocked over the steep hike in passenger fares and freight charges announced by the Railways ministry on Friday. This happens to be the second hike in eight months and the steepest in the recent past," the AAP said in a statement.

The party said the common people feels cheated by the BJP government which promised to bring down prices prior to the elections.

"The Railways, which ferries 25 million people everyday, is the lifeline of the country and the principal mode of conveyance for the Aam Aadmi. The common man of the country feels cheated today as the BJP had promised to bring down prices and get the common man rid of hardship. While burdening the common man with face hike, the NDA government did not take the fact into account that the average railway passenger is poor and has missed out on the benefits of two decades of surging growth," the AAP noted.

The AAP said that hike in freight charges will further push the inflationary pressure.

"What worries more is the fact that 6.5 per cent hike in freight charges will further push the inflationary pressure and prices of the essential commodities will further go up. It is baffling that the government did not even wait for the regular Railways budget and hiked the fare," it said.

With not even a month in office, Narendra Modi government on Friday increased Railway fares with the the passenger fare being hiked by 14.2 percent.

The freight rates have been hiked by 6.5 percent.

New fares will be effective from June 25.

This is the first steep hike in Railway fares in many years.

Image: Wikimedia Commons