New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the Modi government is leaving no opportunity to loot the common people, claiming that it has raised rail fare for the second time in one year ahead of the Union Budget.
The railway ministry on Sunday announced a hike in train ticket prices by 1 paise per km for ordinary class beyond a journey of 215 km, and 2 paise per km for non-AC classes of mail/express trains and AC classes of all trains.
In a post on X, Kharge said the railways has faced a sad saga of neglect and apathy under the Modi government.
"The Modi government is leaving no opportunity to loot the common public. Second railway fare hike in a single year, days before the Union Budget.
"With no separate Railway Budget, accountability has vanished," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
He said the railways is ailing while the Modi government is busy in fake publicity rather than concrete delivery.
"Safety derails, deaths mount: 2.18 lakh deaths in railway accidents (NCRB Report: between 2014-23). Railways are no longer safe, they're a gamble with life.
"KAVACH languishes: Five years of hype, zero seriousness. Kavach covers less than 3 per cent routes and less than 1 per cent locomotives - a safety system that exists only in lofty speeches," he said in his post.
Referring to vacancies in the railways, he said, "Jobs vacant, future stalled: 3.16 lakh vacancies rot the system. Youth awaits permanent posting, contractual posting on rise. (Latest available annual report on pay and allowances)."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.