Publicise lists of registered travel agents: HC to Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to issue immediate instructions to all district magistrates to publish the lists of registered travel agents and to warn the citizens not to go to unauthorised agents.

Both the states have been directed to publicise lists of registered agents on regular basis through television, radio, newspapers and other modes of communication.

The court issued directions during the hearing of bail plea of an accused, a resident of Jalandhar, in a case of duping people on the promise of sending them abroad.

The court observed that it was being seen that the agents who are not registered or licensed by the government, have been duping gullible citizens falling in their trap.

“In my opinion, one of the reasons appears to be the failure on the part of the states of Punjab and Haryana in not warning the people at large not to contact any unregistered or unlicensed person/agent and not to give any amount to them,” the HC bench of justice AB Chaudhari said.

The court did not find favour with the statement of the Punjab government counsel that the arrangement has already been made by publishing the information on the website and print media, saying it was not sufficient as the offences are being reported “day in and day out”.