Railways may cut rates for essential goods

The railway ministry is likely to reduce freight rates on essential commodities in the forthcoming Budget to tide over the effect of inflation on the common man.

The products identified include pulses, edible oil, ghee, inputs going into agriculture like fertilisers, and raw materials like iron ore and steel. These products constitute for over 35 per cent of Railways' total freight capacity.

In last Cabinet meeting, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had expressed concern on the rising inflation rate and suggested some customer-friendly moves to be taken by the government, especially during elections, to resolve the problem.

In fact, his fellow Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Cabinet colleague and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, too, had called upon RJD to do something about the issue.

Officials in the ministry also hinted that the government might introduce longer freight trains, i.e, including more wagons in each train, in order to woo customers using roadways at the moment.

The government plans to increase the capacity of wagons to 58 from the present 40 in most of the freight trains.

This will include announcing a slew of Garib Rath's and other mail and express trains. It should be noted in this context that two new Garib Raths would have started functioning by the time the Railway Budget is announced on February 26.

The Garib Rath between Delhi and Chennai was flagged off by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi yesterday, while Railway Minister Lalu Yadav inaugurated the Garib Rath from Delhi to Mumbai.

Apart from the rail ministry's plans to start these trains from all state capitals, there are also indications to increase the number of berths to 80 from the present 74, ministry sources said.