UPA lacks vision to revive railways, says BJP president Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: BJP president Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday, accused the UPA government of a lack of vision to revive the railways and said that the common man has been forced to pay for mounting losses in the carrier.

In a statement made on the Railway Budget, Rajnath Singh said the move to keep train fares unchanged was an "eyewash" as passenger fares had already been hiked before the budget session started.

He said that the government has introduced dynamic fuel adjustment component on freight rates that will result in a five per cent increase in rates.

Rajnath Singh said that passenger fares had already been hiked before the budget session started.

"Any increase in freight rates is bound to push allround inflation in the country. The Railway Budget also proposes increase in Tatkal reservation charges and superfast charges which will be adjusted in passenger fares," he said.

Rajnath Singh said the railways suffer from the UPA's "economic disorientation and financial mismanagement", and the government had shown its lack of vision to build rail infrastructure by "significant reduction" in creating new rail track targets.

The Bharatiya Janata Party chief said Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has presented a deficit budget "without showing any signs of improvement in infrastructure or passenger amenities".

"The common man is forced to pay for mounting losses in the railways. The Rail Budget has definitely exposed the UPA government's inability and lack of vision to revive the ailing Indian Railways," he said.

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