Gangtok, July 25:A three member team of Transport Department headed by General Manager Mr. ND Rai visited the General Manager (open line) North East Frontier Railway (NFR) Mr. Keshab Chandra, Maligoan, Guwahati regarding increase in state quota along with up gradation of computer system of passengers reservation system (PRS) across state and opening of additional port in the Gangtok railway booking counter.
Speaking with Media Mr. Rai informed that there are a total of sixty emergency quota given by the Railway Ministry for the state of Sikkim apart from the quotas given to state Home Department but the quotas availed in most of the trains to major destination like Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata are not appreciated by the people of State at large so considering the people’s grievances the department of Transport has informed GM Mr. Keshab Chandra that we will be surrendering some of the quotas of the trains that are not used but instead to add the surrendered quotas to the trains which are in maximum demand. Adding more Mr. Rai informed that apart of just adding the quotas of the trains surrendered we have also asked to increase the quota of state from sixty to any number as considered by the NFR. Reasoning behind surrendering quotas of some of the trains like Mahananda express and more Mr. Rai said that most of the quotas availed in some of the trains are redundant and we have requested the GM to include Samparkhkranti instead of Mahanada Express and others. Adding more Mr. Rai said that during the meet the team also demanded for data up gradation of computers in state especially of Gangtok where the GM gave a quick reaction and asked his fellow subordinate to look into the matter seriously and recently a letter for up gradation of systems in Sikkim has been received. Whereas in regards to the addition of one more port to the existing three ports in railway booking counter in capital the GM (open line) NFR has given his assurance.
The main reason of up grading the existing system of PRS in state is to provide as much tatkal tickets to the passengers as the duration of booking tatkal tickets only opens from 8am across nation and gets closed with in an hour but the failure of links or the slow operation of system sets back the passengers of state to avail tickets added Mr. Rai. Furthermore Mr. Rai said that the establishment of Gangtok railway booking counter was in the year 1997 and till date the systems functioning were not up graded and the speed of the sever is about 32kilo bites which clearly mentions that the availing of tatkal tickets is impossible. The maximum tickets availed under tatkal in state currently ranges from 5-6 per day but soon after the up gradation of the system and the internet facility along with additional port will definitely help the people of state to fetch more tatkal tickets.
Furthermore Mr. Rai said that currently there are six PRS operating state wide apart from army PRS and one more PRS has been proposed as per the promise made by the former Railway Minister Ms. Mamta Banarjee during her visit to Sikkim where she had announced of awarding two PRS in addition. Acting upon the assurance of Minister Railway one PRS was started at Rangpo while the other one remaining is proposed at Tadong, Gangtok. The state of Sikkim apart from emergency quota is also facilitated with out agency quota at Jorethang where a total of 32 quotas for state are availed on a daily basis for varied destinations. It is learnt that the out agency quota in railways started in state since 1977 in three destination like Jorethang which still exists, Rangpo and Gangtok, a total of 122 births were facilitated. But with the introduction of PRS system nation wide currently the out agency system is being done away with.
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