Rider beware

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav may have draped himself in glory by announcing reduction in fares in various categories in this year’s Rail budget. The initial euphoria, however, evaporated sooner than expected. By the following day, the riders on the various concession offered by Lalu had exposed their overall utility. So, while the Railways Minister made national headlines by saying Chak De Railways, those in the know of things at Rail Bhavan quietly came up with their own poser: Chakma De Railways. Amid this, Lalu can take credit for splitting the Left. Bengal leftists cried foul at their state not being included for projects, but there was no echo of their angst among their comrades from Kerala. Reason: Lalu had announced a new rail coach factory to be set up in Kerala.