Seven months on, govt yet to frame guidelines under Travel Agents Act

Even after seven months of its notification, the ‘Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Act, 2025’ remains ineffective as the government is yet to frame the rules required for its implementation.

The Act, notified on April 9, was meant to curb the growing menace of illegal immigration and human trafficking. However, the delay in framing rules has stalled its enforcement, with officials saying the police cannot register cases under the Act until the rules are notified.

The law provides for the registration of travel agents, compensation for duped individuals and confiscation of illegally acquired properties of agents. It also prescribes strict penalties, including imprisonment of not less than seven years and up to 10 years, along with fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, for those involved in human trafficking or forging documents.

The issue has resurfaced after the recent deportation of over 50 Haryana youths from the US, who were flown back in shackles after attempting to enter the country illegally — an incident that once again highlighted the role of unscrupulous agents.

While introducing the Bill in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had said many unemployed youth of Haryana were being “lured into the traps of illegal immigration through illegitimate means.” He had stressed that such agents “send innocent people to foreign countries illegally, and such persons are caught and put behind bars by police of those countries. Therefore, there is a dire need to curb the illegal activities of such agents.”

However, despite the urgency expressed, the government is yet to notify the rules or appoint key functionaries required under the Act, including the competent authority for registration and the ombudsman to address grievances.

A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said: “We are waiting for notification of the rules of the Act. Once notified, the police can register cases against travel agents under the Act, which has provisions for compensation to victims, registration of travel agents, appointment of an ombudsman and confiscation of properties of travel agents.”

At present, cases against fraudulent travel agents are being registered under provisions related to cheating and forgery in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which carry lesser punishment compared to the new Act.

Under Section 17 of the Act, courts can also award compensation to victims duped by agents. The law mandates that all travel agents must register with a competent authority and allows for cancellation of licences if an agent is found guilty of human trafficking or document forgery.

The Act also empowers courts to order the confiscation of properties of such agents.

According to data on the Haryana Police website, 188 travel agents in the state are currently listed as “unauthorised”, based on cases filed against them.

Since the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2019 to probe travel agent fraud, the police have registered 3,455 cases till September 2025, arrested 3,053 accused and recovered Rs 52.06 crore from agents.