Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Nov 2: Most people buying platform tickets while entering the city railway station through the Cuttack-side entrance end up paying a rupee more. That is because they head to the counter of an authorised railway agent close to the Railways’ booking counter just outside platform No. 6 because the booking counter has no signboard announcing that platform tickets are also sold there.
With Janasadharan Ticket Booking Sewak (JTBS), the authorised railway agent close to the booking counter, having prominently displayed a signboard announcing its service of selling platform tickets, most platform tickets sold at the Cuttack-side entrance to the station are sold here. JTBS agents, who issue both unreserved railway tickets and platform tickets, get Re 1 as commission per ticket they sell. Thus, while the price of a platform ticket at the Railways’ counters remains the standard Rs 10, a platform ticket purchased at the JTBS counter costs Rs 11.
East Coast Railway (ECoR) had introduced the JTBS counter to manage the rush at the Railways’ ticket counters. But the fact that the JBTS counter witnesses large crowds of ticket buyers and the Railways’ booking counter nearby not displaying signboards announcing sale of platform tickets has raised eyebrows among many passengers. It is alleged that the Railways’ booking counter outside platform No. 6 does not put up a signboard prominently announcing the sale of platform tickets may be a ploy to ensure JTBS earns a sizeable sum as commission.
Currently, the city railway station sells platform tickets both at its main entrance on the Master Canteen side and at the rear entrance near platform No. 6. Signboards about the availability of platform tickets are put up only at ticket counters at the main entrance.
“I was not aware till now that platform tickets are also sold at the booking counter near platform No. 6. I have been buying platform tickets from the JTBS counter for Rs 11 for many months,” said Sarat Chandra Khandual, a regular train passenger.
When contacted, Bhubaneswar railway station manager CR Nayak said he would instruct the officials to place a signboard about availability of platform tickets at the booking counters at the Cuttack-road side entrance as well.
“I was not aware of this situation. I will inform the officials to place a signboard announcing the availability of platform tickets at the booking counter near platform No. 6,” Nayak to Orissa POST.