Rly ticket vending machines to return

MUMBAI: Coin-operated ticket vending machines( COTVM) — which were launched by railway minister Suresh Prabhu last year and shut for over two months after they were hit by charges of fraud and technical bugs — are set to be operational within a week. The IT backbone of the Indian Railways — Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) — succeeded in removing bugs and rebooting these kiosks after 74 days.

They are likely to bring relief to more than 75 lakh suburban and outstation train commuters, who end up spending a long time at ticket windows. Even if some commuters shift back to these touch screen-based machines, it will ease queues at ticket windows. “Three machines were started at CST for testing pur Bobhate, general manager of CRIS, said they have updated the COTVM’S software. “Within a week, the COVTMS should be functional,”said Bobhate.

Installed at major stations such as CST, Dadar, Kalyan, Virar and Borivli, there are 180 COTVMS. Of these, 110 are on CR, while the remaining are on WR. However, a CR official said that less than 5%commuters use COTVMS to buy their tickets.

COVTMS allow commuters to buy tickets using cash, coins, and smart cards. Along with booking unreserved cards and season tickets, one can buy platform tickets and recharge smart cards using these machines.

The machines accept coins of Rs5 and Rs10, and currency notes of Rs5 to Rs1,000. Passengers can purchase four unreserved tickets at a time, while just one season ticket and platform ticket could be booked at a MUMBAI: Attacks on policemen or government employees will attract a harsher punishment as the government has decided to amend the existing laws.

Chief minister Devendra Fad navis assured employees that the penalty will be increased to five years imprisonment as against the current provision of two years. Responding to a demand made by the Maharash tra State Gazetted Officers’ Fed eration, Fadnavis said section 353 and 332 of the Indian Penal code would be amended to ensure harsher punishment.

He also assured government employees that a five-day week would be implemented and the retirement age would be fixed at 60, on the lines of the centra government. He spoke posi tively about childcare leave for