The Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5% has resulted in a hike in Railway fares for all AC and first classes, effective Sunday.
A Railway Ministry circular said passenger fares of the tickets booked from 15 November will increase 4.35% for all upper classes of trains, PTI reported.
"Service tax of 14% and Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5% are chargeable on 30% total passenger fare equivalent on first class and all AC fares," said the circular.
The hike will not be applicable on general and sleeper-class tickets, and also on AC tickets booked before 15 November.
The hike is a result of imposition of the Swachh Bharat cess, through which the government aims to generate around Rs 10,000 crore each fiscal.
Twitterati have lashed out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government for "failing" to provide better facilities in the Railways and instead increasing fares.
In the process of condemning the BJP government on the increased fare, people on Twitter have praised former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for introducing subsidised Gareeb Rath trains that are for poor people.
@laluprasadrjd Introduced Garibh Rath to bring fare cost down... What have you done till date? #RailFareHikedAgain
— Rizvi (@faizyab_rizvi) November 15, 2015
Modi Sarkar should learn from Lalu, How to Handle/ Manage Railway. #RailFareHikedAgain — Amol Khodke (@AmolvKhodke) November 15, 2015
Does it also imply a hike in the quality of services and timeliness of the trains? #RailFareHikedAgain
— Shreejon Biyani (@ShreejonBiyani) November 15, 2015
Through swacha bharat abhiyan, Government is trying to clean corporate mess by taxing commoners... #RailFareHikedAgain (1/2) — Bikram K. Singh (@bikramksingh) November 15, 2015
#RailFareHikedAgain.Modi knows Bihar will reflect Entire India & his days are only 3.5yrs more.So put tax and enjoy world tour&Tamasha
— asim boral (@asimtwitt) November 15, 2015
Railway need money. OK, so Modi allowed 100% FDI in railway then why keep increasing fare? 4th fare hike in 1.5 year. #RailFareHikedAgain — Political Buddha (@AwakenBuddha) November 15, 2015
After unethical fuel hikes and imbalance crude oil price Vs fuel price, Modi sarkar crushing people with #RailFareHikedAgain. Gundaraj?
— KTL (@K_T_L) November 15, 2015
For people who graduated from Sleeper to AC, time to come back to Sleeper #RailFareHikedAgain pic.twitter.com/qATPK4NMOT — sumeet kumar (@sumeetmech) November 15, 2015
#RailFareHikedAgain modi want to compensate his foreign trips by hiking prices... achhe din only fr bjp leaders.
— rashid ali (@rashid786ali) November 15, 2015
#RailFareHikedAgain privatize Railways.. It's a den of corruption with zero accountability of tax payer money. — Sharat Sharma (@sharatsharma42) November 15, 2015
He does everything possible to cause national outrage. And then says, Parliament doesn't function bcoz of opposition. #RailFareHikedAgain
— Lekhraj (@lekhraj191) November 15, 2015
Before diwali #dalshock, After diwali #railshock. He has many more surprises to come. #RailFareHikedAgain #SwachhBharatTax — N1Y4Z 4HM3D (@niyaz_shkh) November 15, 2015
#RailFareHikedAgain i dont know what govt. wants to do..hardly any train is on time and hardly we see any good condition of indian railway..
— rashid ali (@rashid786ali) November 15, 2015
#RailFareHikedAgain New Delhi to Patna Special train me hun. Train 6 ghanta late hai. Pani nahi hai, TC nahi hai kisse kahin? — 9shad (@naushadstm) November 15, 2015
