16 December,2010 06:57 AM IST | | Vedika Chaubey
Authorities have intensified checks to catch defaulters after Rs 6 crore was collected in fines last month
Western Railway authorities are a tensed lot these days. Not because they have failed to complete any of their projects but becuase the number of ticketless travellers has increased.
The number of defaulters caught in November this year in Mumbai division is much higher than that in the corresponding month last year.
Diwali was one reason why the collections from ticketless travellers increased
Total 1.67 lakh cases were registered in 2010, which is 79 per cent more than those registered last year. The Western Railway has recovered Rs 6.06 crore from the defaulters this year.
Despite carrying out so many special drives and taking other precautionary measures to minimise the number of ticketless travellers, the number of defaulters has increased on the Western Railway.
"Our officials are worried and they are also planning to trace the type of work done by the ticket checking staff.
We have our doubts that a few ticket checkers are not stern enough and leave the passengers without making a proper receipt and collecting less money from them," said a railway official on condition of anonymity.
A ticket collector said that one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of ticketless travellers is the fact that the collectors are under tremendous pressure to meet targets set by the superiors.
"Many times we let defaulters go with a small fine when we realise they don't have enough money to pay the fine. We don't make an official receipt in such cases," said a chief ticket collector.
Chief PRO of Western Railway, Sharat Chandrayan, said that they carried out an intensive drive to catch maximum ticketless travellers last month.
"Around Diwali, the number of travellers increases, as a result of which there was an increase in the number of ticketless travellers this year," he said.
Even Central Railway recorded a 43.3 per cent increase in the number of defaulters last month. Total number of cases registered this November was 1.82 lakh as compared to 1.27 lakh in November last year.
Central Railway Chief PRO V A Malegaonkar confirmed that even they are intensifying drives against ticketless travellers.
1.67 lakh
Number of ticketless travellers caught by Western Railway in November this year
Other defaulters
A total of 1,038 beggars and unauthorised hawkers, and 297 schoolboys (above 12 years) were caught travelling in ladies' compartments byu00a0 WR's special Surakshini Squad in November.
