NEW DELHI, 31 JAN: The CBI has registered two cases against unknown officials and private companies for allegedly causing a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore to the government exchequer by making false declarations in transportation of iron-ore and its end use. The cases were registered against unknown officials of ministry of railways and Central Excise of Haldia Commissionerate and two private companies ~ M/s Rashmi Cement Pvt Ltd, Jhargram and M/s Rashmi Metallic Pvt Ltd, Kharagpur ~ based in West Bengal, CBI officials said.

Going ahead with its ambitious high-speed train proposal, Railways have joined hands with Japan to begin the ground work to reduce travel time by half on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor. Railways will procure a new set of trains with electric locomotives to run on the existing Delhi-Mumbai track. "The pre-feasibility study for running train at a maximum speed of 160-200 km per hour is being carried out by Japan on the existing Delhi-Mumbai route and they (Japan) will submit the report next month," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project named Golden Rail Corridor.

A high-level committee on rail modernisation chaired by Sam Pitroda, advisor to the prime minister, has recommended that the Railways hike passenger fares one time by 25 per cent and index all fares to inflation to raise Rs 60,000 crore next year. In a presentation to the Planning Commission ahead of the Railway Budget 2012-13, the committee has said the funds could be used to part-fund a modernisation programme costing Rs 9,13,000 crore over five years. A 25 per cent increase in passenger fares can mobilise Rs 37,500 crore, it said.

High protein food, including milk, eggs, meat and fish, is likely to become dearer by 10 per cent soon due to re-classification of bird and animal feed by the Ministry of Railways for a higher freight rate.

The ministry under Mamata Banerjee has re-classified de-oiled cakes and oil meals from Class 110 to Class 120, effective December 27, which

will entail a freight rate increase between 11

Devjyot Ghoshal & Ishita Ayan Dutt / Kolkata December 13, 2010, 0:39 IST

The country