MP causes consternation in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad did not react immediately when a member from Bihar to his discomfort disclosed in the Lok Sabha today that inquiry no had been held nor any official suspended for fining his wife and other kin on the baseless charge of ticketless travelling.

Raising the issue while speaking on supplementary demands for the Railway Ministry for the current fiscal, Mr Prabhunath Singh (JD-U) reminded the minister that when he had raised the issue during Zero Hour in the House on April 28, he was informed that a railway superintendent was suspended after inquiry. He said when his efforts to get a copy of the inquiry report from the railway failed, he managed to get a reply under the Right to Information Act.

Mr Singh said he was shocked to learn that railways had ordered no inquiry, nor one was conducted and no official had been suspended on the charge of harassing his wife and two nephews. The member's grievance was that they were fined Rs 10,000 despite having travelled on valid tickets. His request to place all documents - his raising of the issue during zero hour, tickets, proof of fine paid, and the report procured under RTI Act - on the table of the House was declined by Chair, who asked him to file the entire information with the Speaker office.

The Janata Dal (United) member, who began tongue-in-cheek, said he hoped the minister would not sleep through his submission in the House, and concluded by saying he did not believe the minister would be happy at the act of the railway official who harassed his wife to make the minister happy because he (Singh) is his (minister) political rival.

Mr Singh demanded return of Rs 10,000 fine and action against the official, wondering how the railway in the first place could have '' suspended an official without holding any inquiry.'' UNI