Rail fare hike to burden common man: Yashwant Sinha

New Delhi, Mar 14: Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday opposed the hike in train fares announced in the Rail Budget, saying the government should not have increased the rate in one go and put an "additional burden" on the common man.

Sinha, a former Finance Minister, said the hike put a "big burden" on the people as it is "steep". "The fares should have been increased long ago in small doses. However, this time the Railway Minister has put a big burden.

For poor people, who are travelling 500 to 1000 km, the increase is steep," he told reporters inside Parliament House. Sinha was reacting to the Rail Budget presented by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in which he announced increase in passenger fares.

"If we don't do anything and suddenly do everything, then the impact is much worse. I hope this (the burden) is not reflected in the General Budget," he said. Replying to question on the fare hike, he said, "They have juggled with the figures to hoodwink the common man. When we go into the fineprint, we will know what is the real burden." Sinha also claimed that the figures given by Trivedi were "only illusions".

PTI