Dinesh Trivedi may have to resign, Mamata unhappy with fare hike

After his own party attacked the hike in fares that Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi announced today, there are reports that he may resign. Mr Trivedi belongs to the Trinamool Congres, which is headed by Mamata Banerjee who was railways Minister till she became the chief minister of West Bengal in May. Sources say that Mr Trivedi may have to resign and that Ms Banerjee has been upset with him for some time.

Minutes after Mr Trivedi completed his speech outlining the country’s Railways Budget in parliament, his party colleague Sudip Bandopadhyay said, “We are opposing because of our party leader Mamata Banerjee who has taught us to protect interests of poor people. We have told Dinesh Trivedi to withdraw the hike. Party has not discussed anything with minister on the railway budget.”

The Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O Brien tweeted immediately after Mr Trivedi’s speech, “Railway Budget...what was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class...maybe ok...but all? Sorry, cannot agree.”

Soon after fellow minister Sudip Bandopadhyay demanded that the hike be withdrawn. 

The rail minister has defended his bold move, the first in nine years, to raise passenger fares nominally. “It’s a nominal hike…I have kept in mind the needs of the aam admi. Without this small rise in fares, we cannot improve amenities and provide cleaner or safer trains,” Mr Trivedi said.

He has announced a hike in passenger fares ranging from 2 paisa per kilometre to 30 paisa per kilometre in various categories of trains despite noting that Railways was passing through a "difficult phase".

Platform tickets have also been raised from Rs 3 to Rs 5. In his over 100-minute speech, Trivedi said these were aimed at rationalizing the fares to cause "minimal impact" on the common man and "to keep the burden within tolerance limits in general".

He has also been slammed by the BJP for what it calls an anti-aam aadmi budget, with former finance minister Yashwant Sinha tweeting, “Rail Minister increased freight rates but didn’t even mention it in the rail budget, this is not right.” And also, “Rates should have increased long ago but in small doses, not in a chunk like this.”

In more criticism, former Rail minister and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, “After listening to Rail Minister for 1Hr 50 Min realized that ppl talk so much when they have nothing to say (sic)”. The budget, said Mr Kumar, “Was like an empty box” with “nothing for the public.”

First reactions from passengers all over the country have been largely the same: That the fare hike is too nominal to make a dent; they all said they would readily pay a little more for a safer journey.  

His budget debut in disarray and isolated by his party, Mr Trivedi had commiserations from fellow UPA ally Omar Abdullah, who tweeted, “All said and done I'd hate to be in Dinesh Trivedi's shoe's today. Today was supposed to be the highlight of his political career. Poor chap.”