Spell out benefits of budget merger: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday dubbed as “cosmetic” the Modi government’s decision to merge the railway and general budgets from the next fiscal.

The main opposition party wanted the government to spell out the benefits the merger of budgets would accrue to the common man who is already reeling under the Railway Ministry decision to introduce surge pricing on fares of premium trains.

“The government must tell us why some train fares cost more than airfare,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.

“We are not against the merger. We are not for the merger. The more relevant question is not to divert the attention by these dramatic things,” Singhvi said.

He said government should not try to fool all the people all the time. “Do not try to digress and divert. Let us address these issues. You have any concrete answers to these. We have not heard answers,” Singhvi said.