Jamshedpur, Feb. 3: A note of caution for railway ticket touts. The Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railways has decided to install close-circuit cameras at railway reservation counters to keep an eye on touts operating at stations under the division.

The decision was taken at a meeting, presided over by senior divisional commercial manager M.N. Ojha, at Chakradharpur yesterday. The cameras would be installed in a phased manner. “We want to identify unauthorised agents and book them under the law. We are buying the cameras from a Calcutta-based private firm. The cameras will be first installed at major railway stations under Chakradharpur division including Tatanagar, Chakradharpur, Rourkela and Jharsuguda,” Ojha said..

According to Tatanagar railway sources, over 20 unauthorised booking agents operate in the Charadharpur division, despite steps taken by railway police to nab them. Railway authorities said the cameras would be installed on top of the reservation counters with screens at the Computerised Reservation Supervisor office. Once a tout is identified his/her photograph would be displayed on boards beside the reservation counters.

Ojha said close-circuit cameras have been installed in Kharagpur and Jhargram railway stations under South Eastern Railway and have helped in identifying the touts racket. Railway officials admitted that there has been a rise in the number of unauthorised agents in the Chakradharpur division over the last one year. “We are doing whatever is required to prevent the touts from fleecing people at the reservation counters,” said an official, adding that five touts were recently caught red-handed in a surprise inspection by Garden Reach railway officials. The touts have been sent to jail, he said.

Sources said the Chakradharpur division is likely to introduce computerised ticket confirmation facility at the Tatanagar railway station by March. The facility would allow passengers to know the reservation status of their tickets by dialling a specific number.

Power plans slash: The Jharkhand State Electricity Board has been forced to slash its annual plan for this fiscal by at least one-fourth after it failed to meet last year’s target. Electricity reached only 237 villages till December 31 last year as against the current year’s target of 6,000. According to sources, the plan outlay cut is a “face saving” effort by the energy board.

Sources said last year, the state government had promised the Union energy ministry that it would put all the 32,296 villages in the state on the energy map by March 31, 2007. Sources said according to schedule, at least 6,000 villages were to be electrified every year for the next five years if the planned targets were to be met.