Plan afloat to link Aadhaar, PAN to passengers' login info for railway ticket booking amid tout menace

In a press briefing, it was said earlier action against touts was based on human intelligence which had little or no impact on the ground

To prevent touts from booking online tickets, Indian Railways on Friday said it is working on a system to link identity documents such as Aadhaar, PAN and Passport to login details of passengers on the ticket booking IRCTC website.

"This is our future plan. We have to create a network first. We have almost done our work with Aadhaar authorities and we are doing the same with other identity cards. The moment the system is in place we will start using it," Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director-General Arun Kumar told the media on Friday.

At present, touts, who create multiple login identities and book tickets including Tatkal on busy routes especially during festival seasons.

Also Read | PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline extended to September 30

Though the Railway Protection Force has been taking action against touts based on human intelligence which had little or no impact on the ground, he said.

Till May 2021, 14,257 touts have been arrested, he said and added that so far, tickets worth Rs 28.34 crore have been seized.

He also said that the Rail Suraksha app has been developed for passengers to register safety-related complaints with the Government Railway Police and the RPF while they are travelling.

"We are devising a surveillance and response mechanism for CCTV coverage to 6,049 stations and all passenger train coaches," he said.

He said that the RPF has formulated a special plan 'reach out, secure and rehabilitate' for protecting children orphaned by Covid.

Kumar also said that for the safety and security of women passengers, the RPF has increased its women personnel from three per cent of the force to nine per cent, making it the central force having the highest share of women in its ranks.

The DG said that about 1,29,500 (from 2019 to May 2021) male passengers travelling in coaches for women were arrested under section 162 of the Railway Act and prosecuted by the RPF.

The RPF has played an important role in the rescue of children and child help desks manned by nominated NGOs are functional at 132 stations till 2020, he said.

The DG said that 56,318 children have been rescued from 2017 up to May, and 976 children have been rescued from traffickers from 2018 up to May.