Independent rail tariff authority being set up: Kharge

New Delhi, Feb 12: Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday said that an independent rail tariff authority is being set up for advising the government on fixing passenger fares and freight charges.

"Determination of rates will no longer be an exercise behind veils where the railways and the users could only peep covertly at what was happening on the other side," Kharge said in his maiden rail budget speech.

Presenting the interim rail budget for the next fiscal in the Lok Sabha, the minister said the new authority will consider the financial requirements of railways in fixing fares and freight charges in consultation with all other stake-holders.

"This would lead to an era of rationalisation of fares and freight structures for improving the fare-freight ratio and gradually bringing down cross subsidization between different segments," he said.

IANS