TMC demands withdrawal of railway letter on closure of routes

The ruling Trinamool Congress today demanded that the railways should withdraw the letter saying that eight train routes which are "not commercially viable" would be stopped unless West Bengal government bore 50 percent of the cost involved.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee told newsmen here that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already protested against the railways' decision.

"It is a political vendetta by the BJP. We will launch an agitation if the railways did not withdraw the letter by January 31," he said.

Banerjee had stated yesterday that the chief commercial manager of the Eastern Railways had written to the state chief secretary, saying that these routes were not commercially viable and they would be stopped unless the state bore 50 per cent of the cost involved.
 

"How can they (Centre) take such a decision without discussing it with the state government? This is a central government project, why will the state pay?" she had asked.

Chatterjee said, "A government can't take decision only on the basis of profit and loss. If a route is not profitable you can't just stop trains. There is a term in governance called public interest".

Eastern Railway, however, said it has no intention of closing any of the routes and any such decision can only be taken by the railway ministry, not by the Eastern Railway.

A release issued by Eastern railway last night said, "On the basis of the report of Public Account Committee of the Parliament such types of letters are being sent to the state government as an action taken Report by Railways.

Earlier also such letters have been sent to the state government and this type of letters are being also sent to other state governments," it has said.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha rubbished the TMC's allegations and said the railways never said they will close the routes. They have merely said that these are not commercially viable," Sinha told reporters.

"If the state is so bothered about public interest, why don't they bear 50 percent cost," Sinha said.