Mukul Roy sworn in as rail minister

Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy was today elevated from minister of state for shipping to cabinet minister for railways, replacing Dinesh Trivedi.

Trivedi (61) was forced to resign on Sunday after he hiked passenger fares across classes, earning the immediate displeasure of his party boss, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Roy, 57, was sworn in as cabinet minister at a brief special ceremony by President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He is widely expected to roll back at least the hike in lower class fares proposed by Trivedi in the railway Budget.

Roy had earlier been minister of state for railways when Banerjee was the railway minister. She handed over the reins to Trivedi when she was elected West Bengal chief minister.

The ceremony was attended by vice president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and cabinet ministers including ministers of the Trinamool Congress.

On Monday, Banerjee had indicated that the hike in the lower class fares proposed in the railway budget would be rolled back.

The Trinamool Congress has meanwhile ruled out any further action against Dinesh Trivedi, saying that he has been asked to attend the parliamentary party meeting which party chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to attend.

"No. He has been asked to attend the parliamentary party meeting," Trinamool leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay told reporters in New Delhi when asked whether Trinamool would take any action against Trivedi.