Nitish wants probe into rail profits under Lalu

Patna, June 29: The Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, on Monday urged the railway minister, Mrs Mamata Banerjee, to order a high-level inquiry into alleged “jugglery” of figures in profits between 2005-06 and 2008-09 during her predecessor Lalu Prasad’s tenure.

“It’s high time that the railway minister should order a high-level probe into her predecessor’s claim of Railways earning huge profits successively during his stint at the Rail Bhavan,” Mr Kumar, a former railway minister in the Vajpayee cabinet, told reporters here. “I’m confident that the profits shown by Lalu Prasad after he took charge of the railway ministry are a farce. The profits have been orchestrated by jugglery of figures at the cost of passengers,” Mr Kumar said. Mr Kumar said the Tatkal scheme of the railways for advance reservation introduced during Mr Prasad’s tenure should also be probed.

It should also be found out why high freight charges were being levied on consignments when the railway minister had announced that there would not be a hike. He also appealed to Mrs Banerjee to speed up pending railway projects in Bihar.