New Delhi: The Railway Budget for 2003-04 proposes no increase in passenger fares and freight rates.

Rationalisation of fare structure for Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will result in lower basic fares for most pairs of stations in these trains.

Concessional fares for non-peak period between July 15 and September 15 in 2003 in AC first class and AC 2 tier in all Rajdhani trains is being proposed.

Presenting the Budget for 2003-04, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said the scales for charging of parcel and luggage rates will be reduced from seven to four, with ratio between highest and lowest rates to be reduced from 8.7 to 6.2.

To make the freight rates competitive, it is proposed to reduce the classification of certain commodities, where Railways are facing stiff competition due to high freight rates.

The classification of petrol for train-load movement is proposed to be reduced by three stages from class 280 to class 250, lowering the freight rates by 10.7 per cent.

The classification of certain other commodities is proposed to be reduced by two stages. These include high speed diesel oil, furnace oil, crude oil, naptha, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed gases, lubricating oils, iron and steel, pig iron, iron scrap, cement sheets, petroleum coke and soda ash.

Kumar said fares of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will be linked to rationalised fares structure of mail and express trains, fixing the basic fare for each class of Rajdhani and Shatabdi 15 per cent higher than fares of corresponding class of super- fast mail and express trains.

Kumar said basic fares of Rajdhani and Shatabdi will now be lower for most pairs of stations.

The basic fare of Jan Shatabdi express will be reduced from the existing mark up of 10 per cent to five per cent over fares of corresponding class of super-fast mail and express trains.

Catering services on Jan Shatabdi is to be made optional, he said.

In parcels and luggage, he said henceforth all types of parcels including luggage will be charged uniformly at the same rate under four scales.

Newspapers and magazines will be charged at the same rates under lowest scale in all trains.

All proposals will come into effect from April 1, 2003.

Buoyed by the performance in the current year, the revenue earning originating freight traffic during 2003-04 has been pegged at 540 million tonnes, which was 25 million tonnes more than the revised target of 515 million tonnes during 2002-03.

Originating passenger traffic is estimated to go up by three per cent, resulting in increase in earnings of seven per cent over the revised estimates of the current year.

The 'other coaching' earnings are expected to go up by seven per cent. Sundry other earnings for 2003-04 have been estimated at Rs 990 crore, representing a growth rate of five per cent over the revised estimates of the current year.

On the basis of these assumptions, gross traffic receipts are estimated at Rs 43,495 crore, which is Rs 2628 crore higher than the revised estimate of 2002-03.

Railways ordinary working expenses estimated at Rs 32,460 crore are seven per cent higher than the revised estimate of the current year.

Appropriation to pension fund is placed at Rs 6,385 crore. Based upon the anticipated requirement for plan resources, a provision of Rs 2005 crore has been made towards appropriation to deposition reserve fund.

The total working expenses will thus amount to Rs 40,850 crore, leading to net traffic receipts of Rs 2645 crore. Net miscellaneous receipts are estimated at Rs 888 crore, which also takes into account the amount likely to be collected through levy of surcharge on passenger fare for being appropriated to the special railway safety fund.

The dividend payable to general revenue for 2003-04 has been provided at the same rate as for the current year, which works out to Rs 2930 crore. Along with certain other dues, an amount of Rs 2978 crore becomes payable to general revenue.

This liability will be discharged in full, Kumar said.

PTI