Ferozepur visit must to get emergency train ticket

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 6

The power to sanction emergency seat reservation in trains, which was transferred to the Ferozepur division years ago, has been troubling the local passengers. The passengers, such as ailing, aged and physically challenged, have no option in Amritsar to get seats sanctioned for themselves under the higher official requisition (HOR) quota. They have to visit the Ferozepur office of the railway.

The power to sanction HOR quota vests with a senior official of the railway station. For a long time, the post of station master remained vacant. Non-availability of a regular official here prompted the railway authorities to shift the quota to Ferozepur, which houses the railway divisional headquarters.

In order to meet the urgent travel requirements of HOR holders, which includes Central and state government ministers, judges of Supreme Courts, High Courts, differently-abled, ailing senior citizens and other categories can avail this facility.

Harvinder Kaur (67), suffering from arthritis, has been getting treatment from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Wife of a retired railway officer, she is not able to book emergency tickets from city as the quota is still with the Ferozepur office.

Sources at the city railway station said, “Many officers in the past have been transferred after facing tremendous pressure to book emergency tickets under the VIP quota. This creates a fear psychosis among the officials who are reluctant to accept the responsibility.”

About a year has passed since the railway station got a director but its food plaza, HOR quota and other services still remain unavailable to city residents.

About two and half years ago, the food plaza at the railway station was closed after a Mumbai-based private concern withdrew its services. Since then, no effort has been made to reopen the same. A daily passenger, Rohit Anand said, “The food plaza had been opened at the station after a long time, but that too closed within a few months.”

He said, after a long wait the Railways appointed a Director for Amritsar Railway station, which was categorised as A-1 railway station. “The availability of director means that a station functions as a centre of excellence. We are still waiting for such a facility here,” he said.

The private company had started operating the plaza in July 2014 after winning the bid. Though the concern did not come on record to clarify why it shut its services but sources maintained that the firm found it commercially non-viable.

The plaza operating company had to pay Rs 3 lakh per month to the railways as licence fee, besides shelling out a hefty amount for electricity supply tariff, the rate for which was quite high.

High power tariff, taxes and other costs made eatables costly. High-end multi-cuisine food outlet did not attract customers as it had faced cut-throat competition from vendors serving food at low rates at the railway station.

When contacted, Amrit Singh, Officiating Director of the station, said efforts were under way to reopen the food plaza. “Several communications from public have reached the zonal office in Ferozepur but senior officials are of the view that the authorisation of the quota must remain with them,” he added.