Title - Tatkal bookings: Agents, touts continue to hold sway

NAGPUR: Even as the railway ministry has streamlined the delivery of tickets under tatkal scheme from July 10, touts and agents continue to hold sway over the bookings.Under the new rules, booking of tatkal tickets starts at 10am on the day before the train starts its journey from the originating station, instead of 8am earlier. For example, if a train is to depart on the 2nd of the month, the tatkal quota booking both through internet and reservation counters for that particular train shall open at 10am on the 1st of the month.In addition, no authorized agents, including agents of IRCTC, are allowed to book tatkal tickets from 10am to 12 noon from counters as well as on the internet.However, for the past three days, TOI observed that except for the timings nothing has changed. The basic purpose of reducing or minimizing possibility of touts or agents booking tickets is still being defeated. Touts and agents have been dominating the counters and the railways have no mechanism to counter them.In November 2011, one of the conditions introduced to obtain tatkal tickets was production of self-attested photocopy of any one of the nine prescribed proofs of identity mentioned in the scheme at the computerized passenger reservation system (PRS) counter.So, agents and touts are producing authority letters from passengers and their ID proof photocopies to show they were relatives of the passengers.

Earlier, when counters opened at 8am, the modus operandi of the agents was to sleep near the counters overnight and stake a place in the line at 8am. Now, when the timing has changed, these elements approach the counters in the wee hours and still stake places in the line at 10am.

Nandkishore Mainani, who wanted a tatkal ticket for Delhi, complained recently when he arrived at the Motibagh counter at 9.30am. Two persons standing in line were soon joined by 15 others, all claiming to have been in the queue already.

When Mainani objected, and asked the miscreants to stand in queue behind him, he was assaulted. Eyewitness Devendra Ramteke said the woman RPF constable Vibha Avtar too bashed up Mainani, alleging misbehaviour.

Avtar refused to speak to TOI when asked about the incident. Mainani said that barring three passengers, all of those in the line were allegedly agent and had authority letters from the actual passengers.

Hemant Nagar, a city resident who faced similar experience recently, says that during those crucial 10-15 minutes, all tickets are purchased by touts and agents, who then sell them at a premium. "One has to pay Rs 300-400 extra for each ticket," he adds.

At Nagpur station too this is a common practice. Agents and their men sleep near the counters to get tokens. Each tout has some 4-5 individuals with him. The RPF men deputed at the spot are helpless.

Darshan Kumar, divisional security commandant (DSC) of South East Central Railway (SECR), said regular drives are conducted against touts at reservation counters. "Sometimes passengers also behave very rudely. I will probe the Mainani incident," Kumar said.

Pravin Dabli, member of zonal railway users' consultative committee (ZRUCC), SECR, says agents have devised new ways to get tatkal tickets. Their men move to smaller stations in the division and procure tickets. "You cannot identify who are the men put in place by the agents. Even if caught, there is no harsh punishment," Dabli said.

The promised steps like installation of CCTVs to monitor any unusual activities, inspection of reservation centres by senior officers, display of helpline numbers for complaints, raids by vigilance squads to prevent misuse of tatkal facility are yet to be put in place.