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 Commissioner (CEC) ordering an inquiry into the scheme.
A report has been sought from the Railway Board and the Rajya Sabha Secretariat 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 on Friday.
Quraishi was answering reporters' query on CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury's comment that the CEC did not apply the same yardstick to the Railway Minister's new scheme while banning the implementation of 'rice for Rs. 2 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 state", he said.
However, he said the CEC would not allow any programme that meant to influence voters.
On the CEC's stand on 'rice for Rs.2 per kg', he said as the matter was before the Kerala High Court, the Commission 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.