Lalu levying hidden taxes: PIL

Sat, Mar 15 01:45 AM

THE RAILWAYS under Lalu Prasad is collecting thousands of crores of rupees from passengers by levying a range of taxes in the name of supplementary charges and security surcharge without parliamentary approval after the announcement of the Railway Budget, a PIL filed in the Supreme Court has alleged. The PIL filed by K. Kathirmathiyon, a Coimbatore-based consumer activist, alleged it is being done through 'emergency circulars' issued by the Railways to indirectly pass on the financial burden on commuters by using it as a mechanism to levy various surcharges including those under the 'Tatkal Schemes'.

He alleged the process was a "deliberate fraud on the commuter as the charges are imposed by deceptive means without the approval of Parliament". The petitioner's counsel Satish Galla and N. Rajaraman sought quashing of the levy of all charges imposed by the Railways through administrative orders without parliamentary approval.

It also sought a direction to the Railways to implement its already promised Tatkal guidelines in a transparent manner. The court said it would take up the PIL if Parliament did not consider it during the current session.

The petitioner said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways had in its 20th and 26th reports deprecated the passing of additional burden on the commuter after the Railway Budget without the approval of Parliament. He said that after he had written to the PM in December 2007, the PMO had pulled up the Ministry in February 2008.

RECOMMEND THIS STORY