Admn to check misuse of free travel facility

Our Correspondent

Ahmedgarh, January 19

The administration has launched a coordinated movement to curb the misuse of free travel facility during election-related activities.

The action was initiated in compliance of the Election Commission orders that had observed that free and concessional passes issued by the Indian Railways and government airlines had been misused by beneficiaries from and to regions having elections in the past years.

Though exact strategy and steps to be taken to check the tendency has not been illustrated yet, they (officials) have been advised to execute the orders in letter and spirit.

The in charge and heads at various government offices and educational institutes had received directions to ensure that beneficiaries do not use free travel pass facility to travel till the declaration of results of the ensuing Assembly elections.

Instances had come to the notice of the commission during general elections to legislative assemblies of certain states that free passes issued by the Indian Railways and government airlines had been misused to and from the states, constituencies or areas having general elections.

“Issue of such passes enables holders to travel around the country free of cost and participate in election-related activities and thus attempt to vitiate the holding of free and fair elections. The commission has decided that such activities should be stopped and accordingly it has directed that in future no golden passes, free passes, concessional passes or any other passes be issued for travel to and from the states/ constituencies/ areas going to the polls during general/ by-elections,” reads the contents of the EC communication received from the office of Director General Secondary Education Punjab at government and private-aided schools of the region. No one, except tour operators and travel agencies, shall be exempted from the ban applicable till the declaration of the result.