BCMA urges Rly Minister to announce relief in freight rates

Mumbai, Feb 24 (UNI) Welcoming Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's decision about not to raise the rail freight rates on goods including essential commodities in the soon to be announced budget, Bombay Commodity Merchants' Association (BCMA) urged the Minister to annouce some relief in freight rates on essential commodities to keep the rate of inflation below four per cent as against the present 4.02 per cent.

Association president Mohan Gurnani welcomed the Railway Minister's decision and, along with other traders, urged him to reduce freight rates, particularly that of essential commodities, due to higher costs of road transport, as compared to railway freight.

The traders said the road transport depends on petrol and diesel and their prices were already hiked by the Union Governemnt, affecting the essential commodities' wholesale and retail prices.

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