Unusual requests blow lid over EQ scam
The Hindu
Scamsters used fake letterheads of MPs/MLAs; most e-tickets were booked from common IP addresses
It was the usual hectic day for South Central Railway (SCR)’s commercial wing, of trying to accommodate last-minute requests into the express trains through the Emergency Quota (EQ). Despite several trains running with less than the capacity, there are trains on demand like the Telangana Express to New Delhi. For EQ, there are up to 30 berths in sleeper class, 18 in 3AC, 12 in 2AC and four in first AC with most available in the originating stations or few at major stations en route for long distance trains. These are cleared a day in advance for trains departing before 4 p.m. or on the same day for those departing later. “Anyone can apply for EQ — passengers with health issues or requiring sudden visits for exam or interview, government officials on duty, public representatives can seek or recommend berths. Depending on hierarchy and availability, these are allotted with random checking done,” explained senior railway officials on Tuesday.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.