Rourkela: Passenger alleges wrongdoing by railway ticketing staff

Booking railway tickets, especially tickets under Tatkal scheme, has always been a headache for passengers, and this has been made almost impossible by the rackets run by ticket agents across the country. A similar case has come to light at Rourkela recently, after a passenger posted his grievance on the microblogging site – Twitter and tagged Indian railway ministry and DRM Chakradharpur (CKP) Division.

The person concern, Soumojit Sarkar has alleged in his tweet that around 11 am, which is the time for Tatkal booking for general public, the railway ticket official was busy speaking to the agent on the phone while ignoring the public, who waited in line to book their tickets.Thereafter, Mr. Sarkar received a reply from the RailwaySeva twitter handle requesting him to share the station details and his mobile no. He was further asked to raise his grievance on the ‘railmadad’ website or dial 139 for quick redressal.

Later, he also received a reply from DRM CKP division who apologized for inconvenience caused to him. He assured that proper enquiry will be undertaken in this case and appropriate action will be taken as per the merits of the case, in consultation with the authorities.

Since its introduction in 1997 by the then Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, Tatkal scheme has been always in news for all the wrong reasons. It was introduced for passengers who wish to undertake train journeys at a short notice by purchasing tickets at a premium value. However, today, the scheme is used more by ticket agents and some officials from the railways to take passengers on a costly ride.