July 6, 2014
Not proper and acceptable to increase the railway and gas prices: Trinamool Congress
Trinamool Congress will take up the issue of rail fare hike in the coming session of the Parliament. The party`s Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Kalyan Banerjee assured his party`s full co-operation during the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament, but also stressed on the need for a discussion on the recent price hikes in gas and in railways by the Centre.
“On behalf of All India Trinamool Congress, we will extend all co-operation for the running of the house, and also for the development of the country. We have said that it is not proper and acceptable to increase the railway and gas prices just before the budget. Therefore, we have said that price hiking should be an issue of discussion immediately after the railway or the finance budget is presented. Country is waiting for hearing the discussion in the floor of the parliament,” the AITC Chief Whip in Lok Sabha said.
“We have said that apart from the railway and the financial budget, there should be a discussion on home, transport, rural and urban development etcetra,” he added. The TMC leader castigated BJP-led NDA government for not practising federalism in letter and spirit. “We have said that although the government is saying that they have great respect of federalism, but in essence or in effect we don`t see the sign of such federalism. Because on the basis of any of the members of the ruling party, central government is sending letters to the state government`s, hitting the jurisprudence of the federalism,” he said.
The AITC Chief Whip in Lok Sabha also highlighted the issue of allocating office`s to parties as per strength of the party. “If the strength of the members are the foundation of making the government, allocating seats, time, then why the same yardstick should not be taken into consideration for the purpose of accommodation of the party office in the parliament. Speaker has assured that on this issue she will be calling leaders of all party and it will be discussed,” he said. He also informed about the fact that the issue of leader of the opposition was not discussed in the meeting.
