Pay Rs10K arbitrary fee to become travel agent

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, September 26

If you want to start the business of travel agent or ticketing or consultancy, you have to pay Rs 25,000 each as government fee. Besides, you have to pay Rs 10,000 extra in Muktsar district as the district administration reportedly charges the same as arbitrary fee in the name of donation to the District Olympic Association. The sewa kendra facilitation charges are separate from this fee.

Notably, the arms licence applicants are made to pay an arbitrary fee of Rs 20,000 (two installments of Rs 10,000 each). The situation is almost same in other districts in the state, but nobody is paying any heed to stop such a practice.

A local resident, who wants to get registered with the state government as an air ticketing agent, says, “I have been told to pay Rs 10,000 as donation to the District Olympic Association to get a registration certificate to run my business. Why should I pay that when I am already paying nearly Rs 30,000?”

Meanwhile, sources in the district administration say other districts charge up to Rs 30,000 from those who want to run the business of travel agent or ticketing or consultancy.

Deputy Commissioner MK Aravind Kumar said, “We are accepting money as donation and this is not mandatory. The funds are used to create sports infrastructure.”

However, sources say the arbitrary fee is compulsory for everyone. “Only those having political approach or good rapport with senior officers are spared,” they maintain.

Earlier, the arbitrary fee was being collected as donation for the District Red Cross Society, which now has funds in crores.