Delhi HC Seeks IRCTC Audit on Online Ticket Booking System
The Delhi High Court has sought the official position of the Ministry of Railways and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that calls for an independent audit of the online ticket reservation system.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, has directed the government and Railway counsel to obtain necessary instructions on the matter within one week.
Technical Failures and Booking Difficulties
The PIL, filed by practicing advocate Uttam Kumar, highlights several technical challenges faced by passengers using IRCTC, RailOne, and other digital platforms. The petitioner has raised concerns about the reliability of the system, particularly during high-demand periods such as the opening of advance reservation windows.
According to the plea, passengers frequently encounter various issues, including:
- Login and authentication failures: Difficulty in accessing user accounts.
- Booking-session issues: Failures occurring during the actual reservation process.
- Payment-related problems: Transactions that do not result in a confirmed ticket.
- Ticket generation failures: Instances where a booking attempt is made, but no ticket is issued.
It is important to note that the petitioner is not seeking any specific ticket or preferential treatment, but rather institutional directions to ensure a fair, transparent, and reliable system for all genuine passengers.
Demanding a Comprehensive Technical Audit
The petition seeks a time-bound, independent examination of the entire reservation ecosystem. The requested audit would cover several critical technical and administrative areas, including:
- Server and network capacity.
- Booking and queue-management