Indian Railways have announced that the advance reservation period under the Tatkal Service is being reduced to 24 hours from the current 48 hours.
The current bar on travel agents booking tickets online between 8 AM and 9 AM has been extended for two hours: from 8 AM to 10 AM.
Passengers have to verify their identity proof to buy Tatkal tickets and only four passengers per each reservation request under the Tatkal Service.
Henceforth duplicate Tatkal tickets will be issued only in exceptional cases against payment of full fare including Tatkal charges; that makes it a re-purchase of the ticket, of course!
Though Tatkal was introduced with the laudable objective of making reservation available to travelers who are forced to travel unplanned and in emergencies, the service has been under much strain because of unscrupulous and rapacious touts masquerading as travel agents.
Vinay Mittal, Chairman, Railway Board, said: "There were many complaints regarding misuse of Tatkal tickets. The changes that will be effective within a week has been made to prevent its misuse."'
Perhaps a more reliable solution to the problem of touts subverting Tatkal is to increase the number of trains and the number of seats to meet the growing demand. But, sadly, we do not seem to have the resources - particularly given the ever-burgeoning population.
At one time it was claimed by some newspapers that the Railways themselves were resorting to profiteering by reducing the regular reservation quota and increasing the Tatkal quota. Given that, perhaps it is too much to expect our honourable touts to do any better.
As a nation we have become experts in subverting every law and every institution. If we use our collective genius in better ways, we might end up achieving what sceptics believe to be impossible: build a better nation. But then we may be asking for too much.
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