Front page of the Indian Express, forty years ago.

Railway fares and freight rates have been raised steeply in the revised railway budget for 1980-81 presented to the Lok Sabha by the railway minister, Kamlapati Tripathi. The new levies will bring the railways additional revenue of Rs 204.24 crore and enable it to bridge the budgetary gap, which has widened from Rs 38.12 crore in March this year to Rs 161.53 crore in June and convert the deficit budget into a surplus one. All categories of railway fares have been raised.

Loco strike off

The ten-day-old strike by the loco running staff of the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway was called off following an agreement with the authorities. The agreement to end the strike was signed following a four-hour-long discussion between the leaders or the All-India Loco Running Staff Association and R K Natesan, general manager, Northern Railway. According to the agreement, the loco running staff will join duty at midnight. This is the first time that the Railways have signed an agreement with a non-recognised employees association. M Menezes, chairman, Railway Board, however, told newsmen that the signing of the agreement did not amount to recognition of the union.

Imphal impasse

The talks between the Prime Minister and the nine-party delegation from Manipur failed to thrash out a stand on the issue of foreign nationals and Indian migrants in the state, sources said in Imphal. The meeting, which took place in Delhi last Friday, could not bring out a categorical definition of a foreigner or a final decision on the inner line system. Meanwhile, student and youth activists of the CPI took out a procession in Imphal demanding the expulsion of foreigners and restoration of the inner line system. Unlike in Assam, the CPI unit in Manipur has taken a stand in support of anti-foreigners agitation.