New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who is in the line of fire after presenting his first Rail Budget in Parliament over fare hike across the board, has said that he took the decision for the betterment of the country.
Speaking exclusively to IBN18 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai on the issue of facing opposition from his own party, the Trinamool Congress, Trivedi said that he did not consult his party or Mamata Banerjee, adding that "Mamata Banerjee never interfered in my work".
He, however, said that he did consult the common man before preparing the budget.
When asked if the budget could lead to his losing the job, a defiant Trivedi said, "Bhagat Singh lost his life for the country, losing a chair is of no consequence."
Asserting that he did not want the Railways to go the Air India way, the Union Minister pointed that he had to take a loan of Rs 3000 crore to balance the budget.
Trivedi further said, "The hike was necessary otherwise where will the money come from for railway safety and betterment of facilities," adding, "If you roll back the hike then I have to roll back safety concerns."
He said that his budget was an economic and not a political one. "I have done my duty and I am happy about it. I don’t fear god also," said the Union Minister.
Here is the full transcript of the interview:
Rajdeep Sardesai:Welcome to this CNN-IBN special, on a day when Mr Dinesh Trivedi has given his Railway Budget 2012. With me, my colleague and Senior Editor Vivian Fernandes, who tracks the Rail Ministry and of course the man of the moment Dinesh Trivedi.
Appreciate your joining us Mr Trivedi. Most experts are praising your budget saying you have taken a very tough decision after a very long time. However, I might add that politically you seem to have touched a hot potato with your own party. Trinamool is saying you must roll back the fare hike or face the consequences. Your response sir?
Dinesh Trivedi: I have done whatever was required to be done for the betterment of Indian Railways and the country. I have taken a conscious decision. I have spoken to a wide section of the population - including the passengers. In the last six months, passengers from all the sections of society, even the poor, said, "Sir aap bhaara thoda badha lijiye, magar humko suvidha aur suraksha dijiye". (Sir, hike the fare but give us facility, safety and security). So my job is to give them safety, security, efficiency, cleanliness, hygiene and for all these we required money.
Rajdeep Sardesai: But Mr Trivedi, what I have been told by Trinamool sources is that you didn't consult Mamta Banerjee or the Trinamool before taking this decision. You may have consulted passengers but you didn't consult your own party and that is why, you may have to pay a price for it. Are you willing to pay that price? And did you not consult Mamta and the Trinamool before taking this decision?
Dinesh Trivedi: In order to be fair with my leader Mamta Banerjee, I must tell you, she has never ever interfered in my working. She has always been very supportive. This perception that Mamta Banerjee used to interfere was totally out of place. And I must confess that I have certainly not consulted her or the party and I have taken a conscious decision.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Are you willing to bear the consequences? If your party says 'Dinesh Trivedi roll back the fare hike or lose your job', what would you prefer?
Dinesh Trivedi: You know, we all are in politics for the people, to serve the country and that's what I am doing. And there could be somebody much better than me, nothing is permanent.
Rajdeep Sardesai: You're willing to sacrifice your chair?
Dinesh Trivedi: What is the sacrifice of chair? Whose chair is permanent? I have to do as long as I am in the chair and I have to do what is good for the railways.
Rajdeep Sardesai: So as far as you are concerned, you believe that the fare hike was necessary. And therefore, you did what you feel was necessary. You didn't think about consulting Mamata Banerjee and your party before taking this decision. And you are willing to take the consequences?
Dinesh Trivedi: What are the consequences? I don't understand. Losing a chair is not a consequence. When Bhagat Singh died, he lost his life. What is the consequence? What is a chair? I don’t know why this question is coming? Mamta Banerjee is not so unreasonable.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Trinamool sources are telling us, you took this decision after consulting Pranab Mukherjee and not Mamta Banerjee. And that is what has angered your leader.
Dinesh Trivedi: I have taken a decision based on what my conscious told me, that’s it. I have not consulted anybody. I have consulted the common man in the street.
Rajdeep Sardesai: And you believe is that the common man wanted a fare hike?
Dinesh Trivedi: We have got even a survey done and I have personally spoken to them. They said that you hike a little. So that is what I have done, the hike is in paisa. And I can tell you if you are travelling 35 kilometres, you are paying Rs 2 extra. Today I can tell you people can afford and those who cannot afford I have given the extension of easer from 100 to120 kilometres. From where you are going to get money for safety, even if I have to allocate money for the pending projects for instance, Bengal. If I have to give the money for the projects in Bengal, where is the money going to come from?
Rajdeep Sardesai: Ok. You are saying that you have taken a rational, economic decision. My colleague Vivian has a question.
Vivian Fernandes : While it is true that even the Left-oriented trade union have actually supported the increase in fare and while it is necessary, do you think that it is going make much of a difference to the railway finances? I think from the fare hike I think you are going to get about Rs 2500 crore and that is not going to make much of the difference in the finance of the railways. So do you think that it is wise to be adventurous, when your presence in the Railway Minister is required to steer some of the structural changes that you are proposed?
Dinesh Trivedi: No Vivian, see it is the credibility of the railway systems. You cannot keep on cross subsidising with freight. And each and every rupee matters today. And I can tell you that this budget was in negative. I had to take a loan of Rs 3000crore on a 8.5 per cent interest just to balance the budget. Now that Rs 3000 crore also has to retune, so each and every penny matters and it was a question of the credibility of the railways. I was under great criticism that you guys are not touching fare, why the fares are holy cow? The fares was holy cow because the common man couldn’t afford, so I consulted the common man and to that an extent I received compliments from Left, Centre and the Right and every parliamentarian complemented me. If the whole Parliament complimented me then I think I have done something which is not terribly wrong.
Vivian Fernandes : Sir, do you think that you have not communicated enough, the fact that the railways are in deep financial hole because on a turnover of Rs 1 lakh crore, the railways have earned a surplus of just Rs 1000 crore. And this discounting the Rs 3000 crore that the Finance Minister has given you as loan and the deduction of and dividend from the 6 to 5 per cent. Do you think that you have not communicated the dire straits the railways are in?
Dinesh Trivedi:Communicated to who?
Vivian Fernandes : To the people at large, your party and to the parliamentarian.
Dinesh Trivedi:People know even the Finance Minister knows under which circumstances we are. What they are telling is to help yourself then only we will help you. Now tell me on PPP project if the health of the Railway finance is not good which PPP will come and look at the Railways. I didn’t not want to the Railway to go Air India way, what I have done is just taken the Railways out of ICU. And I can tell you if I would not have done all the measures, a time would have come where the employees would not have gotten their salaries. And that is where the Unions were worried as well. So I have done what every was good for the Railways, rest I am a philosopher I have done my duty and that what’s matters.
Rajdeep Sardesai:You keep saying you have done your duty. Will you push for a roll-back? Let me as direct as that, if your party after all you have been made Railway Minister because your party and Mamta Banerjee has made you. If she asks you roll back this across the board fare hike. Will you roll it back? Will you roll it back in the certain categories?
Dinesh Trivedi:Rajdeep, I cant answer your question because that question has come to me and I have not been told to roll back at the moment.
Rajdeep Sardesai:No if you were asked?
Dinesh Trivedi:See, I am setting on a chair and I am like a doctor and I know what is good for the patient. And if you are going to roll back then you have roll back on safety concerns also. I cannot guarantee safety if I don’t have money. Are the passengers are happy, ok don’t give us safety, let us travel, let the accident take place we are all right, and I am alright.
Rajdeep Sardesai:But sir pleases look at the tweets that have been sent by the likes of the Derek O’Brian from your own party, making it clear that unacceptable to them to have across the board passenger fare hike. Are you willing to reconsider that after all these are your party man and saying the same thing?
Dinesh Trivedi: Every party has an ideology and they are independent in commenting. I have to work as a Railway Minister of India and I have done precisely that.
Rajdeep Sardesai:You are saying, you been the Railway Minister of India and not the Railway Minister of the Trinamool or the West Bengal. That is the distinction you are trying to draw?
Dinesh Trivedi:I didn’t say that, it is you are adding. I have done whatever I had to do for the Railways which belongs to the country and as long as I am consciously happy about it, I am ok. I have done my duty.
Rajdeep Sardesai:Do you fear that you will become a causality of battle between the West Bengal and Centre. West Bengal needs being different, Mamta’s need being different and the center wanting rationalisation as you are saying, and the need for the railways to become financially viable. Are you afraid that may have been caught in the middle of the politics and economic?
Dinesh Trivedi:I have done a conscious duty and I don’t fear God also. I take God also as my friend. And when God is my friend I don’t fear anybody and I do my duty to the best of my ability. Thank you very much Rajdeep for having me.
Rajdeep Sardesai:Just for a minute we have final question from Mr Vivan
Vivian Fernandes : Mr Trivedi , is it that your party doesn’t appreciate the fact that by increasing the fare is actually going against the ‘aam aadami’. And that is why as increase in fare is necessary?
Dinesh Trivedi:Yeah, I think that because you are not helping the aam aadami. Today aam aadami wants facilities, connectivity and wants to travel. I think that is exactly I have done and that is economy. I t was not a political budget, it was a economical budget which is a win-win situation for all.
Rajdeep Sardesai: My final question to you Mr Trivedi. Derek O’Brian tweets ‘Railway Budget what was that all about increasing fares across the board… upper class may be ok, but all sorry cannot agree.’ Sudip Bandopadhya tweets, “The minister will have to roll back the fare hike”. I am going to ask you one last time, are you feeling pressure of politics? At the end of the day you are a politician, it may make an economic budget but you are a politician. Political imperatives will score over economics? Or will you stand in your ground?
Dinesh Trivedi: At the end of the day I am proud citizen of India and as a proud citizen of India I have duty as a citizen of India which above everything.
Rajdeep Sardesai:Do you have confidence of the Prime Minister ? You believe that the Prime Minister have the full faith and confidence in what you have done?
Dinesh Trivedi:I have confidence in me.
Rajdeep Sardesai:Do you believe that Prime Minister will back you in any battle with Mamta on this issue, after all she is your leader.
Dinesh Trivedi:Rajdeep, I have confidence in me..
Rajdeep Sardesai:Where has this toughness suddenly come from? Till the other day all of you were doing exactly what Mamta Banerjee said.
Dinesh Trivedi:Rajdeep I think I have answered all your questions and I thank you so much and wish you all the very best.
Rajdeep Sardesai:Ok. Dinesh Trivedi there making it clear that he believes he work according to his conscious.
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