Licences of 20 IELTS centres, travel agencies in Bathinda cancelled

Jalandhar/bathinda, July 1

On the directions of the state government, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal today formed special teams to conduct physical checking at all immigration firms in the district.

The DC has sought reports on the inspection of these firms from SDMs by July 10.

The DC’s orders came two days after The Tribune highlighted the years-long evasion of arrest (despite six FIRs in Punjab) by travel agent Brijesh Mishra, who was recently arrested in Canada.

Jalandhar is among the districts where agents trafficked women to the Gulf.

The Jalandhar DC has constituted four-member teams in six subdivisions. Each team will comprise the SDM, DSP, SHO and the Tehsildar, who will conduct a physical verification of all immigration firms working in district.

The DC said as per the mandate of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2014, all licence holders were duty-bound to submit their monthly business reports to the district administration. Likewise, he said, the district administration was required to conduct checking at these firms from time to time. Meanwhile, the Bathinda district administration has cancelled the licences of 20 immigration and IELTS centres in the district. Deputy Commissioner Shaukat Ahmed Parray said 20 licences were issued under the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act and these had been cancelled.

Owing to the craze of settling abroad weighing heavy on the minds of the youth, the Ajit Road area in Bathinda has emerged as a hub of IELTS and immigration centres in the southern Malwa region for the past decade.

Many have been operating without a licence or approval from the district administration. It is learnt the licences were cancelled as the centres did not comply with the norms and did not provide the information sought by the administration.