Indian Railways are always an interesting and existing topic,
for any age group. During a normal Facebook
scroll I happen to see the link shared by a
friend. Curious seeing related to railways I clicked and land on page where
Indian Railway have shared information on updated policies related to “Change in the Name of Passenger Holding
Confirmed Reservation”.
You may have
shared many times on Facebook this post that "now you can transfer your confirm
ticket your relative or friends and they can travel on your behalf". Well Dear
not any more, Railways have update their policy. You may want to read again
For me I have no absolutely no issues with Railways changing
/ updating its policies related to passenger travel. I have issue in the way
they are executing it. Following are points in which I will share my concerns
with no hope of Railways Minister or concern officials paying any heed to them.
1 1. “Chief Reservation Supervisor of
important stations are authorized by Railway Administration to permit the
change of name of a passenger”
- Please
note CRS of ONLY important station are authorized to permit the change, so sir
if you happens to be boarding from remote village / small town, you will have
to travel to next big/important station to get this change, 24 hours before the
departure of train, however you booked the ticked online via IRCTC site.
- Let me explain this, say you have to board a
train from Ashok Nagar (Madhya Pradesh), you fell sick and now your brother need
to travel on your place. To get confirm ticket changed on your brother name,
you sir please get out of your bed 24 hour before the train leaves from Ashok Nagar
and start moving towards station or bus stand to go to either Guna (which I hope
may have CRS being a junction suitable enough important station or either go towards
BINA a big railway junction in Madhya Pradesh. Find the Chief Reservation
Supervisor give in writing that you want it to change the ticket on your
brother / relative name, may good luck with you if officer is present on
his/her sear to do the needful and does not throw another set of rules / doc /
written permission needed to do a simple change.
- Hope officer does not ask for money, you know “facilitation
fees” for doing something which is his/her duty and being paid handsomely by
Railway.
- The policy also does not clarify whether new
ticket will be issued or the so called CRS of important station will give
written permission/approval seal.
- Indian Railways have also not shared the list of
important station, so I don’t know out of 8000 odd station which are important
station, has a CRS who will do this task.
2. Where the passenger is a Government
Servant , proceeding on duty and appropriate
authority, makes a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure
of trains
- So what about private employees, shopkeeper,
businessman, where is case rule for them, don’t they pay money for ticket.
3. “Makes a request in writing 24”
- I have a big big issue here, why request needed to make
in writing. Indian Railway going ga-g a day by day on how they are making
progress towards #Digital India, you can book ticket, food online, via sms,
app, and mobile. Need request in writing.
- Why I cannot raise the change request via IRCTC
portal by login in to my account.
- Daily on average about 5lakh tickets are booked
online via IRCTC but no sir you have to come to station find the CRS and get
change request completed, and 24 hour before your train leaves.
4. Where the passengers are students of a
recognized educational institution and the Head of the institution makes a
request in writing 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
- Seriously, dear policy makers I hope you have you
also attended school. Do you really expect head of school, college, and
institute will make a request in writing. Do you really thing they pay any heed to this.
Out of 5 lakh
daily online tickets booked (not taking consideration of window hardcopy
tickets booked), I guess hardly 5 or 10 people may or may not need to use this
service of transfer the ticket to his her relative. But even for them why make
the service miserable to use. We all know how difficult even today is to book
or buy tickets at railways counter. We also don’t need to explain the relation
between bribing and Indian railways. We all know what happen to rail minister
in UPA government. There is DigitalRail group on MyGovIndia a people participation
platform launch by PM Modi to listen ideas. Why have this group when you don’t listen
to them.
When everything
can happen online, why are you making additional roadblock? Why you need to place a person to do
additional task, a function which can happen online via already existing system. When I can
book / cancel my ticket online, why I cannot transfer it to my relative online,
of-course it can be approved online by a person. This will save my trouble of
writing letters, running to station. Why Railways is making a loophole for employees’
officers to earn bribe?
Dear Rail
Minister Ji, my humble request to please read @RailMinIndia twitter mentions,
and suggestions made at DigitalRail group on MyGovIndia. There are some
brilliant ideas shared by common people who actually travel by Train. Who knows
what it is line standing in queue at 5am in morning to book a tatkal ticket? Who
knows how it is to be like traveling with family to native place during holiday
/ festive season?
