Uttar Pradesh : Now preparing to give reservation ticket counters of railways in private hands, private workers started sitting at general counters
Preparations have also started to hand over the Passenger Reservation Ticket Counter (PRS) in the Railways. The board has selected Kota Division of West Central Railway for the pilot project. The Senior Divisional Commercial Manager has also sought Expression of Interest (Expression of Interest) from the parties (public or institutions) before starting the new system of deployment of outsourcing employees. After getting the suggestions and proposals of the people, the process of tender will start as per the requirement.
Railway Board has directed West Central Railway to complete the tests by December. Guidelines will be issued by March 2023 after outlining and rectifying the shortcomings during testing. From next year, all reservation counters of Indian Railways including North Eastern Railway are preparing to accommodate private employees. The board is making changes in this system because the crowd at the reservation counters has almost reduced.
About 90 percent people are booking tickets online from the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in Gorakhpur, the headquarters of North Eastern Railway. Railway workers are also booking tickets online on the online facility pass. In such a situation, the usefulness of reservation counters is gradually getting exhausted. Only a few passengers taking waiting tickets are reaching the counters. The counters have also reduced. Instead of eight to ten counters, now only two to three counters are operating.
Private personnel have started sitting at the general ticket and inquiry counters of railway stations. Deployment of Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBAs) at NSG (Non Sub Urban Group) 4, 5 and 6 class stations of North Eastern Railway is almost completed. In Varanasi division itself, STBAs have been deployed at 31 stations except about half a dozen stations of NSG 1, 2 and 3 category. Announcement system of stations has also been given in private hands.
Railway Board Chairman Vinay Kumar Tripathi has written a letter to the General Managers of all the zones, insisting to reduce the expenditure on the account of human resources. According to the letter, 67 percent of the total expenditure of the Indian Railways goes to human resources. In order to bring down the expenses, the Railway Administration is emphasizing on outsourced the necessary work by surrendering the vacant posts to the personnel posted on low working posts and adjusting them at other workplaces.
