Thiruvanathapuram: The scheme to provide
free rail travel to girl students announced by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in this year's Rail budget seems to have run into trouble for the time being with Chief Election
Commission of India ordering an enquiry into the scheme.
A report have been sought from the Railway Board and Raja
Sabha Secretariate about the scheme announced by the Railway
Minister and a decision on the scheme would be taken soon
after getting the report, Chief Election Commissioner Y S
Quraishi told reporters here Friday.
Quraishi was answering reporters query on CPI-M leader
Sitaram Yechury's comment that CEC did not apply same yardstick on Railway Minister's new scheme while banning the implementation of 'rice for Rs two per kg' scheme of CPI-M led LDF government in Kerala.
The commission ordered an inquiry based on media reports of Yechury's comments. 'We will not show any discrimination to
any states', he said. However, he said CEC would not allow
any programmes that meant to influence voters.
On the CEC' stand on 'rice for Rs Two per kg', he said as the matter was before Kerala high court, CEC would inform the court about its position.
Quraishi who along with Election Commissioner V S Sampath and
H S Brahma held meetings with top state government and police
officials on the preparations for the April 13 assembly polls,
said that there would be strict monitoring of expenditure of
each candidates.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 18, 2011, 14:16