Naveen Patnaik terms rail fare hike as anti-poor

Bhubaneswar, June 20 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday described the increase in rail fares as anti-middle class and anti-poor.

"Passenger fare hike across the board is going to affect passengers at large and more particularly poor people travelling in sleeper class," he said in a statement here.

"Hike in freight charges will further aggravate inflation and lead to price rise affecting people at large. This is anti-middle class and anti-poor people move," he said.

The central government Friday raised the railway passenger fares by 14.2 percent in all classes and freight charges by 6.5 percent. The new passenger fares and freight rates will come into effect from June 25, the railway ministry said.