The article ‘Railways increases freight rates’, December 9, is an eye-opener and the hikes are totally unjustified. The move has come at a time when the government is working out several schemes to bail out companies from the ongoing economic crisis. The apparent reason for freight hike is re-classification of tariff on certain goods. It has been obvious for some time that various wings of the government, instead of working in harmony, are working at cross purposes. The proclivity of politicians to keep tinkering with rules, tariffs and taxes makes a mockery of the budget, particularly with both elections and the budget only a few months away.
M M Gurbaxani, Bangalore
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