The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has opposed the decision of the Railways to restore service charge on train tickets purchased online with effect from September 1.
The Centre had withdrawn the surcharge on tickets bought online through the IRCTC website three years ago, in a bid to promote digital payments.
The Finance Ministry used to bear the expenditure on withdrawal of surcharge in the past. Now, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has written to the Railway Board that her Ministry would no longer reimburse the surcharge, CPI-M district secretary K. Lokanadham said in a statement on Sunday.
Mr. Lokanadham said that the Railway Board convened an emergency meeting and decided to pass on the burden to the passengers. He said that people were already overburdened with a hike in prices of essential commodities. He also deplored the handing over of maintenance of railway stations to private agencies.
Mr. Lokanadham warned that the Railways would have to face the wrath of the people if the surcharge was not withdrawn.