LUDHIANA: Despite getting strict guidelines from higher authorities in January to put up boards mentioning
railway vigilance helpline numbers—155210, 9868175631, 9717638892—to tackle the menace of charging excessive amount on general tickets by the
railway officials deputed at different ticket booking counters at Ludhiana railway station, concerned local railway authorities have been unable in complying. The guidelines were issued in the view of making the passengers aware about the process of registering complaints and to bring indiscipline staff under the scanner.
During its visit to the the different ticket booking counters at the city railway station, TOI team could not find even a single board put up the local railways authorities mentioning the railway vigilance helpline number.
A railway official on condition of anonymity said a copy of guidelines had been received by the concerned officials in January regarding putting up of the notice boards which is yet to be complied with. It was added that series of charging exorbitant fees during late night hours is still going without any fear of action.
While speaking to the city station director, Abhinav Singla, regarding the matter, he said, “Within the coming days, notice boards mentioning railway vigilance helpline numbers would be put up on the general ticket booking counters so that passengers can easily registered their complaints to vigilance department whose task is to nab indisciplined officials of railways indulging in unfair means to extract money from passengers on general tickets.”
Singla added that as per the provision under Railway Act, a railway employee is to be dismissed or suspended for more than a year if found guilty taking bribe or charging excessively from passengers.