PATIALA – The state government has made it mandatory for travel agents and agencies working in this field to get themselves registered at the respective sub-divisional magistrate’s office in a week (by November 3). The registration would be done under the Punjab Human Trafficking Prevention (Revised) Rules, 2014.
The Assembly passed the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act in December 2012 with a view to check illegal activities and malpractices by agents. The Act made it mandatory for the travel agents, emigration consultants and ticket agents to get registered.
As per latest orders, the government has asked the Deputy Commissioners in all districts to ensure that “every travel agent, coaching institutes of International English Language Testing System (IELTS), consultancy and general sale agents” are registered within a week. “In future, if any person or company is found working without a licence, he/it will have to face legal action under the Punjab Human Trafficking Prevention (Revised) Rules, 2014,” said Patiala District Magistrate Varun Roojam.
Over the past two years, the government has been appealing to these agents to come forward and get themselves registered, but to no avail. The travel agents have been seeking reduction in the licence fee being levied on them. The also wanted that the provision allowing search and confiscation of record by the DSP or the SDM concerned from the houses of travel agents without search warrants and even by breaking locks at any time be scraped.
