Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to bring down the train fare in the Katwa-Azimganj section of Howrah division to Rs 10 from the existing Rs 30, as the hike hurt poor commuters.

Mamata’s letter was based on an appeal sent to her by the president of Eastern Railway Passengers’ Association of the Azimganj-Katwa section of Murshidabad district.

“In the appeal, they have brought to my notice that the Railway fare in theKatwa-Azimganj section of Howrah Division of Eastern Railway was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 30 during the pandemic period and the same is still continuing,” Mamata wrote.

The chief minister explained why the old fare should be brought back in that particular section.

“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the population of Murshidabad district and its surroundings is very poor. They can hardly afford tickets at higher rates, since most of them are daily wage earners belonging to BPL category and they need to travel from home to their place of work every day,” reads the letter.

Sources in the state administration said the chief minister had rightly pointed out the issue at a time when the railways were gradually restoring pre-Covid-19 facilities in trains.

“But issues related to the poor are being ignored,” said a senior bureaucrat, pointing out this was why the chief minister wrote to Vaishnaw.

The chief minister also pointed out that as a scheme — Izzat — introduced by her as the railway minister in 2009-10 to give concessions to the financially weaker section was withdrawn, it hit the financially weaker populace.

“I understand that the scheme has since been withdrawn, thereby adversely affecting the poorer section of the society,” the chief minister wrote.

Sources in the administration said the chief minister raised the issue as people living in a large part of Murshidabad depend on trains of Katwa-Azimganj section as the bus fares in the districts are comparatively higher.

A Trinamul leader said Mamata was focused on Murshidabad after the ruling party lost the Sagardighi bypoll in the district recently.