Punjab CM orders crackdown against illegal travel agents

The Punjab government has directed top civil and police officials to identify unregistered travel agents and take stern penal and legal action against them.

Orders in this regard were issued by Punjab Home Secretary N S Kalsi on the chief minister's directive, an official spokesman said today.

Top officials have been directed to crackdown on illegal travel agents through a series of measures to ensure strict compliance with laws and legislations governing the licensing and operations of such agents, he said.

The measures include regularly updating the list of all the licensed and registered travel agents and conducting their physical verification at least once every year, the spokesman said.

In this drive, the government has come out with a new set of guidelines and instructions to ensure strict compliance with the laws and legislations governing the registration and functioning of travel agents in Punjab, he said.

The directions were issued after several instances of people being defrauded by illegal agents were reported, the spokesman said.

The government is concerned about the unscrupulous persons and travel agents carrying out illegal activities by giving false promises to citizens, especially the youth, for getting them settled abroad by charging huge amounts, according to a Punjab government advisory.

In the process, citizens are getting defrauded and sometimes landing in foreign prisons as illegal entrants, the advisory said, adding that most of these agents are fly-by-night operators.

Sometimes, even more heinous crimes such as kidnappings and confining people in illegal custody have also been reported, the advisory said.

To ensure strict compliance with the rules and regulations governing the registration and conduct procedures of the travel agents, it has been decided that all registered travel agents would provide a receipt to their clients against services provided by them, the spokesman said.

The receipt would include the receipt number, amount, mode of payment, name and complete address of the registered premises, and the GST number as well, he said.

It is also required that all registered travel agents should display their registered license number prominently at their offices, the spokesman said.

Further, deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure that district web portal include the details of all registered travel agents, he said.

Legal action against illegal agents will be taken under the Indian Penal Code, the advisory said.