Arun jaitley defends rail fare hike, holds UPA regime responsible
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday justified the hike of 14.2 percent in passenger fares and raised freight rates, saying the former Congress-led UPA government was responsible for the poor state of the Indian Railways.
“The UPA didn’t take tough decisions when it needed to. My UPA friends must understand what situation they left the Railways in. It was running in a loss. Should the new minister follow the weak decisions of the predecessors and let the railway run in a loss or should he do what is essential for the sector?” Jaitley, who also holds the Defence portfolio, said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Opposition parties including the Congress, BSP, CPI (M) and TMC staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha to vent their ire over the Finance Minister’s reply on the recent rail fare hike.
The Lok Sabha managed to take up just two questions amid uproar created by members of the Congress, TMC, RJD, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party and the Left as they trooped into the Well of the House raising the issues of price rise and rail fare hike.
The Opposition wanted discussion with an adjournment motion but Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected it, saying a debate could be taken up under Rule 193 that does not entail voting.
While the Congress wanted discussion on price rise, Trinamool Congress pressed for debate on rail fare hike with an adjournment motion which requires voting and amounts to censure of the government if it is passed.
The Lower House was adjourned twice till 2 pm before being adjourned for the day as the deadlock persisted.
