The Hindu : Front Page : Lalu flags off Garib Rath

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Thursday, Oct 05, 2006
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Lalu flags off Garib Rath

Special Correspondent

Motihari station renamed to honour Gandhiji

PATNA: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday flagged off the Garib Rath, first AC train for the poor, from the Saharsa station in Bihar. The ticket for the train to Amritsar in Punjab has been subsidised by almost 50 per cent as against 25 per cent projected in the railway budget.

For the 1,500-km journey a passenger will pay only Rs. 695 as against the fare of Rs. 1,279 for travel in AC three-tier in an express train. Travel in the AC chair car will cost only Rs. 595.

"The police and the TT shoo away the poor from even coming close to an AC coach. Such was the discrimination against and disdain for the poor. Now they can travel with equal rights. The Garib Rath is an exercise at giving the poor their rights," Mr. Prasad said.

Three more trains

Three such pairs of trains would link Nizamuddin with Patna, Chennai and Mumbai. The Nizamuddin-Patna train was likely to be launched in a month or two.

Mr. Prasad also visited Motihari, from where Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha movement and experimented with ahimsa. He renamed the station Bapu Dham Motihari station. A train service to Porbandar was launched to celebrate the occasion. "The train connects Bapu's birthplace with the land from where he launched his movement against imperialism," the Minister said.

Mr. Lalu said he intended giving farmers better returns for their produce. The Railways would enter into marketing by utilising its space at 7,500 stations across the country for providing cold storage and packaging facilities.

Mr. Prasad ruled out privatisation of the Railways and spelled out his intentions of expansion and modernisation. He said he would be able to register a surplus of over Rs. 20,000 crore in his next budget.

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