Fare hike needed to provide amenities: Trivedi

Defending the fare hike, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi Wednesday said it was needed to provide basic amenities to passengers and ensure their safety.

“Had we not increased the fare, amenities like cleanliness and safety could not have been improved,” Trivedi told reporters after presenting the rail budget for 2012-13.

He later told CNN-IBN news channel that he had not heard of any call from Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to roll back his decision.

“I confess I have certainly not consulted her (Mamata) or the party, and I have taken a conscious decision. I have consulted the comon man,” he said.

He said he did not want the railways to go the Air India way.

“I have taken the railways out of ICU. If I would not have taken all these measures, a time would have come where the employees would not have gotten their salaries,” he said.

Asked if he might be asked to resign for announcing the hike, Trivedi said: “I have to do whatever is good for the railways. and nobody is permanent. Loosing the chair is of no consequence.”

The minister clarified that people can afford the new fares.

“I was under great criticism for not touching the fares. Why are the fares a holy cow? I consulted the common man and to that extent I have received compliments from every parliamentarian,” he said.