In 2 years, only 3 travel agents opt for registration in Muktsar

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 18

Nearly two years have passed since the state government made the registration of foreign language coaching institutes, immigration consultancies and travel/ticketing agents mandatory. However, it has got such a poor response that only three agents have got registration in Muktsar district.

Information procured from the District Administrative Complex (DAC) reveals that no application was pending with the authorities concerned.

“Just three applications were received since September 2013 and the applicants have been issued registration certificates. Apart from them, not even a single institute, travel or ticketing agent has even applied for registration in Muktsar district,” said a senior official in the DAC.

Those in immigration business for over five years have to deposit a fee of Rs 1 lakh while those in the profession for less than five years have to deposit Rs 25,000 as licence fee. The fee to be levied from the air-ticketing agents is Rs 25,000.

Due to the poor response from agents and non-serious approach of the officials concerned, the state government in the last two years has extended the last date for registration eight times.

Further, the officials who have been told to prepare the lists of such institutes, immigration firms and ticketing agents are sitting like mute spectators.

The last date – this time — is June 30 and, once again, the higher officials in the district administration have appealed to the unregistered agents to get their registration done within this time period.

Registration was made mandatory by the state government under the Punjab Travel Professional Regulation Act (earlier known as Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act) with a view to tighten the noose around fraudulent travel agents, who were functioning without registration and exploiting innocent people.

The Act even stated that after the stipulated time period, any agent found functioning illegally would be penalised with 3-7 years of imprisonment and the offence would be non-bailable.

This week, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, Jaskiran Singh, held a meeting with the officials concerned and re-directed all of them to identify the agents and tell them to get their registrations before June 30.

He gave powers to the sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to initiate legal action against the defaulters after the stipulated time period.