Act fearlessly, but tactfully, ECoR urges TTEs in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 14:

Three days after Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested two TTEs for allegedly assaulting two students of Utkal University in the Odisha capital on the Puri-Cuttack passenger train, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has exhorted its TTEs to perform their duties as per rules without any fear or pressure.

The two TTEs are the best among the ticket checking staff and working in the Chief Commercial Manager’s Ticket Checking squad. They are trained to be polite, efficient and understand their responsibilities. What has come up in Newspapers and electronic media is not only damaging the spirit of the two staff, but also to the image of East Coast Railway as a whole, the ECoR said in a statement.

The two ticket examiners, while checking tickets here, caught hold of a 40-year-old person supposed to be traveling in Puri-Cuttack passenger train without a valid ticket. However, the middle-aged person argued that he was not travelling by the train and had come to receive someone. When asked to produce a platform tickets, he could not. Thus, he was asked to pay a fine and applicable fees amounting to Rs. 260, it said.

At that time, a student intervened in the matter and argued that there is no reason why the person should pay the fine. The TTEs on duty enquired about the travel authority of the said student, who could not produce one. He argued that the ticket was with his friend, who was inside the train. While he was asked to get the ticket, the train started to move. The student shouted and waved at his friend in the train to come and produce the ticket. His friend jumped in a hurry and got injured, it added.

After the incident, the students went to the GRP police station and filed an FIR alleging that they were assaulted by the two ticket examiners.

While exhorting all ticket-checking staff to perform their duties diligently and fearlessly, ECoR has advised their staff to act tactfully while dealing with ladies and senior citizens and sought cooperation of all passengers in this exercise.

The two TTEs were sent to the SDJM Court where they were granted bail.