Withdraw rail fare, freight hike: Jayalalithaa

Chennai, June 20 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa Friday termed the hike in rail passenger and cargo carriage rates "worrisome" as it would fuel inflation and demanded its withdrawal.

In a statement issued here. Jayalalithaa urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action to withdraw the 14.2 percent hike in the passenger fares and 6.5 percent hike in freight rates as it would affect the poor and middle sections of society.

She said the central government's decision to hike the rates makes one wonder whether the new Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is following the same policies of the earlier Congress-led government.

According to Jayalalithaa the government should seek alternate revenue sources to set right the problems in the railways which are a legacy of the previous United Progressive Alliance government.