Lok Sabha Question No. 81 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Blackmarketing of Railway Tickets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMA DEVI, NITYANAND RAI, OM BIRLA, PRATHAP SIMHA, SHOBHA KARANDLAJE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 81 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.02.2016

## BLACKMARKETING OF RAILWAY TICKETS

- †81.  SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI: SHRI NITYANAND RAI: SHRI OM BIRLA: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA: KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of touts arrested for blackmarketing of railway tickets during the current year, zone-wise;
- (b) the number  of surprise checks  conducted  by  the vigilance department, zone-wise along with the number of touts arrested in each check;
- (c) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  so  far  against  those  touts who have been arrested and the outcome of the action taken in this regard;
- (d) the steps taken to correct such problems and the reaction of the Government on the said outcome; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  amend  the  rules  of  online ticketing  services  under  tatkal  reservation  ticket  service  of  the railways and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI MANOJ SINHA )

- (a) to (e):    A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO.81 BY SHRIMATI RAMA  DEVI, SHRI NITYANAND RAI, SHRI OM BIRLA, SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA AND KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.02.2016 REGARDING BLACKMARKETING OF RAILWAY TICKETS

(a)  to  (c):    The  number  of  touts  arrested  by  Railway  Protection  Force (RPF) for black marketing of railway tickets, action taken against them, number of checks conducted on touts by Vigilance department and the number  of  touts  apprehended  in  these  checks  during  the  years  2015 and 2016 (Upto January) is appended.

All  the  persons  apprehended  by  Vigilance  department  in  surprise checks  on  touting  activities  are  handed  over  to  RPF  for  prosecution under Section 143 of the Railways Act.

(d): The following measures are taken to prevent the black marketing of the railway tickets:-

1. Regular joint drives are conducted by Commercial, Vigilance and RPF against touts. These checks are intensified during peak rush/ festival  periods.  Touts  are  apprehended  and  prosecuted  as  per Section 143 of Railways Act. Besides, to monitor the working of reservation counters and to keep watch on possible activities of touts,  Closed  Circuit  Televisions  (CCTVs)  have  been  installed  at important  computerised  Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS) locations.
2. Token system has been introduced at Tatkal Reservation Counters at major railway stations.
3. Provision of ID proofs has been made compulsory at the time of Tatkal ticket booking.

(e): At present there is no proposal under consideration to amend the rules  of  booking  under  Tatkal  quota  for  internet  booking  or  booking through PRS counters. However, amendment in the reservation schemes including Tatkal, based on the feedback, is a continuous and ongoing process.

*****

APPENDIX  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.81  BY  SHRIMATI  RAMA  DEVI,  SHRI  NITYANAND  RAI,  SHRI  OM BIRLA,  SHRI  PRATHAP  SIMHA  AND  KUMARI  SHOBHA  KARANDLAJE  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.02.2016 REGARDING BLACKMARKETING OF RAILWAY TICKETS

(a) to (c):  The number of touts arrested by Railway Protection Force (RPF) for black marketing  of railway tickets,  action  taken  against  them,  number  of  checks conducted on touts by Vigilance department and the number of touts apprehended in these checks during the years 2015 and 2016 (Upto January) is as under:-

| Railway    |   Year |   No. of touts arrested for black marketing of railway tickets |   No. of touts convicted |   Amount of fine realized (In Rs.) |   No. of checks conducted by Railway Vigilance |   No. of touts apprehended by Railway Vigilance |
|------------|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Central    |   2015 |                                                            213 |                      102 |                             207300 |                                             38 |                                              47 |
|            |   2016 |                                                             20 |                        1 |                               6500 |                                              2 |                                               2 |
| Eastern    |   2015 |                                                            111 |                       27 |                             153000 |                                            161 |                                               0 |
|            |   2016 |                                                             12 |                        2 |                                  0 |                                             18 |                                               0 |
| East       |   2015 |                                                             31 |                       31 |                              20000 |                                            128 |                                               0 |
| Central    |   2016 |                                                              1 |                        1 |                                  0 |                                             11 |                                               0 |
| East Coast |   2015 |                                                             45 |                        2 |                               3000 |                                             33 |                                               0 |
| East Coast |   2016 |                                                              3 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              1 |                                               0 |
| Northern   |   2015 |                                                            277 |                       18 |                              67000 |                                             87 |                                             178 |
| Northern   |   2016 |                                                             13 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              1 |                                               1 |
| North      |   2015 |                                                             44 |                        6 |                              48000 |                                            128 |                                               2 |
| Central    |   2016 |                                                              0 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              2 |                                               0 |
| North      |   2015 |                                                             41 |                        2 |                              15260 |                                            140 |                                               1 |
| Eastern    |   2016 |                                                              0 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              9 |                                               0 |
| Northeast  |   2015 |                                                             57 |                       14 |                               5000 |                                             16 |                                               5 |
| Frontier   |   2016 |                                                              6 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              3 |                                               0 |
| North      |   2015 |                                                             26 |                        3 |                               9000 |                                              1 |                                               0 |
| Western    |   2016 |                                                              4 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              1 |                                               0 |
| Southern   |   2015 |                                                             67 |                       15 |                              33900 |                                            520 |                                               9 |
|            |   2016 |                                                              5 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                             60 |                                               1 |
| South      |   2015 |                                                            225 |                       82 |                             148500 |                                             26 |                                              16 |
| Central    |   2016 |                                                             18 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              0 |                                               0 |
| South      |   2015 |                                                             57 |                        3 |                              11500 |                                            236 |                                               0 |
| Eastern    |   2016 |                                                              2 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                             19 |                                               0 |
| South East |   2015 |                                                             27 |                        1 |                              10000 |                                             57 |                                               0 |
| Central    |   2016 |                                                              0 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              5 |                                               0 |
| South      |   2015 |                                                            105 |                       52 |                             255100 |                                              7 |                                               7 |
| Western    |   2016 |                                                             11 |                        5 |                              21500 |                                              0 |                                               0 |
|            |   2015 |                                                            392 |                      102 |                             499500 |                                              2 |                                               2 |
| Western    |   2016 |                                                             45 |                        1 |                               5000 |                                              1 |                                               1 |
| West       |   2015 |                                                             39 |                        5 |                              40000 |                                              8 |                                               0 |
| Central    |   2016 |                                                              5 |                        0 |                                  0 |                                              2 |                                               0 |