The government has kept open the option of calling a joint session of Parliament in case the Food Security Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha Monday night, runs into hurdles in the Rajya Sabha.

Minister of state for railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Tuesday that while there would be no hike in rail passenger fares in October when the fuel adjustment cost is due to come in effect, but freight charges would go up. He did not, however, specify the quantum of hike in freight charges.

The UPA lacks majority in the Rajya Sabha. Its strength in the House of 245 members including the nominated members is 96. This means that the Congress-led coalition has to depend on the BSP (15),Samajwadi Party (9), RJD (2), LJP (1). All these parties have been backing the government from outside.

Deep-seated fear and hatred of Maoists in Jharkhand’s villages led to the lynching of a young Opposition leader and his driver by villagers who apparently mistook them for Left-wing rebels despite the hapless duo’s pleas to the contrary, the police said on Tuesday.

The Lok Sabha witnessed some din during Zero Hour on Tuesday morning with members from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh seeking to express their concern on the flood situation in their states and seeking financial assistance from the Centre.

Slamming the government for the poor economic situation in the country in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the country has been made insolvent.

The government on Tuesday informed Parliament that Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Indian Mujahideen are active in country’s hinterland, including the national capital.

Repeated cases of rape being reported from various parts of the country and continuing incursions by Chinese troops into Indian territory in Uttarakhand were some of the issues prominently raised in the Rajya Sabha by the BJP which demanded home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s intervention to prevent crimes against women.

Finance minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday informed Parliament that irregularities to the tune of `230 crore have been found in the farm loan waiver scheme and action is being take in this regard.

Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh, speaking to a news channel, pointed out that in 2011 and 2012, only 5 per cent of rape cases registered in the city were by persons unknown to the victim, while 95 per cent rapes were committed by relatives or friends.