The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has condemned the hike in railway fares announced by the Railway Ministry today.

She urged that the Centre withdraw the fare hike as it would affect the majority of the public.

The move adds to the problems of the people who are hit by inflation and price rise of essential commodities.

The railway fare hike, to take effect from January 21, has been announced ahead of the railway budget and follows the price rise of fuels including kerosene, petrol and diesel and cooking gas.

Reacting to the fare hike announced by the Railway Minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal today, she said the hike will affect the poor and the middle income group who are most dependent on the rail transport.

Fares have been hiked by 3 paise to 10 paise for every kilometre for various categories of tickets. The highest hike is for air-conditioned classes; tickets on suburban trains will be costlier by two paise a kilometre; and for other classes in express and ordinary trains the fares go up by three paise to six paise.

Economists and the public are demanding that the Centre implement various measures to control inflation, rising prices, increase production and job generation, strengthen electricity transmission lines to the Southern States and bring down interest rates.

But the Centre has not considered the sentiments of the people, Jayalalithaa said.

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