Hike in Railway fares not a solution, says Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi, Dec 19 (ANI): Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee tabled a "White Paper" in Parliament on Friday, giving details of the financial position of the Railways which indicated the difference between the claim and the actual finances of the Railways during the term of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav as the Railway Minister of the country.

Banerjee ruled out fare hike, when she would present the Railway budget in February next year for the financial year starting April 2010.

"Out of passenger earnings, we have to invest money to improvise the railway system. Railway is the service for the poor people and common people; just by increasing the fares we cannot carry out the railway projects," Banerjee said.

Unveiling a 'Vision 2020' document, Mamata Banerjee assured uninterrupted flow of funds to ensure safety and better amenities on tracks.

"There is a demand that the coaches should be good, platforms should be good, services should be good and neat and clean railways. We also want all these things, but there must be a plan of action for short and long term. That is why within six months we placed this budget and the budget for supplementary demands also. Time is very short, but whatever be the budget commitment 99 percent is in process and half of the work has already been done," she said. (ANI)