GOVERNMENT OF INDIA aa pom MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS - (RAILWAY BOARD) we ee je No. 2018/1G-1/20/P/STBA ‘New Delhi, Dated: 22.01.2020 Principal Chief Commercial Managers, All Zonal Railways. (Commercial Cireular no. 04 of 2020) Sub: Master Circular on implementation of SIBA scheme at NSG-5 and NSG- 6 Category stations. slob Station Ticket Booking Sewak (STBS) scheme was introduced on pilot basis vide Commercial Circular no. 66 of 2013. Subsequently, a full-fledged scheme under the name Station Ticket Booking Agent (STBA) was rolled out vide Commercial Circular no. 53 of 2015. 2. On the basis of requests received from Zonal Railways to expand the scope of STBA scheme, ‘the matter has been examined in Board’s Office. 3. Considering the safety related responsibilities of ASMs & shortage of staff in booking cadre, Competent Authority have now decided that STBA may also be engaged at those NSG-S and NSG-6 category stations where ASMs are issuing tickets presently. Also, those erstwhile E- category stations (which now fall under NSG-5 or NSG-6 stations) where STBA were engaged, shall continue to be governed by this scheme. 4, It is advised that necessary action may be taken at the earliest for engagement of STBA on aforesaid categories of stations in accordance with the scheme enclosed. 5, Performance of the scheme may be reviewed after an initial period of one year and position be apprised to Board’s office for further evaluation. 6. This issues with the concurrence of Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways@ 7. Necessary instructions may be issued to all concerned accordingly. an DA: As above. > (Shelly Srivastava) Director Passenger Marketing Railway Board No, 2018/TG-1/20/P/STBA ‘New Delhi, Datedy01.2020 Copy forwarded to: PFA & CAO, All Zonal Railways. Director (Audit), All Zonal Railways. for Financial Commissioner, Railways -2)-10. u 2, 13, 4 copy to: v2 ‘CCM/PMs and COM/?Ss, all Zonal Railways, EDVIT), EDFC, OVT, DF{C), PPS/EC, OSO/TC, F(C) & WSS) branches of Rallway Board. GGMY/IT/IRCTC, B 148, 11th Floor, Statesman House, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi-110001 Managing Director, RIS, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi Director General, Professor/Training & Professor/Commercial Railway Staff College, Vadodara, ‘The Principals, Zonal Railway Training Institutes, Central Ralway/Bhusawal, Eastern Railway/Shull- Dhanbad, Northern Rallway/Chandausi, East Central ralway/Muzaffarpur, NF Rollway/Alipurduar, Southern Railway/Trichy, South Central Rallway/toula Al, SE Rellway/Sini, North Western Railway/Udalpur. Director, Indian Raliway institute of Transport Management, Hardol Bypass Road, Manak Nagar, Lucknow-2260012, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Rallwaymen (NFIR), 3, Chelmsford Road, New Delhi. General Secretary ll ingia Reilwaymen Federation ( AIRF, 4, State Entry Road, New Delhi Secretary General, Federation of Railway Officers Association (FROA), Room No. 370, Rall Bhawan, New Delhi Secretary General, Indian Railways Promotee Officers Federation (IRPOF), Room No. 268, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi. Secretary General, All India RPF Association, Room No. 256-D, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi CCTM, Metro Raliway, Metro Rall Bhawan, 33/1, 1. Nehru Road, Kolkata-73. MD, Konkan Raliway Corporation Ltd, Belapur Bhavan, Plot No.6, Sector 11, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbal-400624.Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBA) Scheme for ‘NSG-5’ and ‘NSG-6" ‘Category Stations This scheme is for engaging Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBAs) on commission basis at ‘“NSG-5” and ‘NSG-6" category stations where ASMs are issuing tickets at present and thoso erstwhile E- category stations where STBAs are already engaged which fall in either ‘“NSG-5" or ‘NSG-6" category stations for issue of unreserved tickets through Computerised Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) of Indian Railways. 1.1 STBA shall be engaged to disburse unreserved tickets as per timings decided by Zonal Railways 1.2 Before engaging STBA, Zonal Railways shall explore the feasibility of posting surplus ECRC at the booking counters being manned by ASMs or to engage JTBS, 1.3 In case, if it is considered necessary to engage STBA, personal approval of the DRM concemed should be obtained for engaging STBAs on the recommendation of Ss, DCM/DCM. Zonal Railway Headquarters may be advised accordingly. 2 Seleet n of Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBA): (@) The need as well as the number of counters in a station for engaging STBA shall be assessed by a JAG committee consisting of officers from Commercial, Operating and Accounts Department of the concerned Division. In case there are no JAG level officers in the Division, Zonal Railways may appoint Senior Scale Officers on the Committee. The recommendation of committee shall be put up to DRM for acceptance, (©) Applications from cligible persons will be called through newspaper ication asking them to submit their application along with an earnest money of Rs.2000/. Applicant shall submit the application along with his/her photograph. Only one applicant can be engaged as STBA at one station, While furnishing bid/application, applicant shall give a declaration that he/she has not been engaged as STBA at any other station, In case any station has two location panels, where trains halt, separate STBAs may be engaged for each location. (©) The candidate who opts for least commission (in 4% commission slab) on monthly sales tumover shall be engaged as an STBA. In case more than one applicant quotes the same rate, the selection will be based on the draw of lots in a transparent manner in public, (DA rrefundable security deposit of €5000/- & Bank guarantee of €20,000/- shall be deposited by the selected STBA. However, the security deposit can be enhanced by the Railway keeping in view the sale of ticket at the station. On completion/iermination of agreement, pending dues if any shall be adjusted from the Security deposit and balance refunded to STBA,(e) The selection of STBA through tender shall be done by a committee of 3 Assistant Scale Officers of the Division from Commercial, Operating and Accounts Departments, (St. DCM shall be the accepting authority. Where a JA Grade Officer (Sr. DCM) is not available, the accepting authority shall be at the level of Divisional Commercial Manager who is a Sr. Scale Officer. 3. Commission payable: Out of the applicants fulfilling the eligibitity conditions, the candidate(s) who opts for the least commission (on the 4% commission slab) will be selected as STBA as stated in para 2(¢) above, The commission payable shall be as follows: - (Example in annexure A) Slabs | Sales Turnover in | Commission percentage payable on sales turnover Slab T 1-15000 15% (minimum € 500/-) Slab 2 15001-50000 _R% cee Slab 3 50001-10000 % Slab 4 >100000 4% or the rate quoted whichever is lower ‘The commission will be calculated on monthly basis as is being done for Halt agents Board’s letter no. 99/TG-IV/Halts/Policy dated 08.09.2000) and as per IRCM Vol. IT para 2425 item no, 28. Commission to STBAS shall be paid ftom the Station Earnings. ‘The commission shall be paid on the amount credited to Railway's account. In case of concessional tickets, the commission shall be calculated on the actual fare collected by the railways. 4, Qualification: (@ The applicant should be a resident of the local Block/Tehstl/Mandal in which the station is located where STBA is proposed to be engaged. Relaxation in this condition can however, be given by Sr. DCM/DCM, in case no suitable candidate of local Block/Tehsil/Mandal is ell be engaged as STBA. (b) The applicant should not be under 18 years of age and should have passed at least Class-X exam, However, educational qualification can be relaxed by St. DCM/DCM if no qualified applicant is otherwise available. certificate of relaxation in this regard may be recorded. (© The selected applicant will also have to produce a certificate from the police station serving his/her locality that he/she has no criminal record and no criminal case is pending against him/her. (@ _ STBA and his/her nominated agent should not be ex-Railway staff who has been removed or dismissed from service on the grounds of doubtful integrity.Operating procedure for STBA: @ o © @ © © @ (h) o o The cost of hardware and software (including maintenance), electricity and hiring of channel will be borne by the Railways. The space will also be provided by the Railways free of cost. STBA shall not sublet/assign or transfer the rights or obligations 1g out of the agreement. In case of death of agent, his/her legal heit(s) will be allowed to act as the STBA for the unexpired period of the agreement by the competent authority, subject to para-4 above. STBA, however, if he so desires, may nominate one person per counter for sale of tickets, for which provision may be made in the standard agreement, with prior approval of the Railway authorities subject to fulfilment of prescribed conditions mentioned in para 4 above. Both the STBAs and the additional persons, if any, nominated by them to sell tickets shall be issued photo identity cards by the concerned Sr, DCM/DCM and their name(s) shall also be displayed on a notice Board at the station premises. The STBA shall deposit the cash collected through sale of tickets, t6 the concerned Station Master/Assistant Station Master of the station on duty on 8 hourly shift basis as prevalent on that station. All concession orders should be handed over to the SM/ASM along: with cash and cancelled/N1 tickets. Failure of the STBA to do so shall result in the collection difference of fare to be recovered from the STBA. If the ticket activity stops due to non-availability of STBA or his/her negligence resulting in non-functioning of equipments, penalty equal to the average daily turnover from sale of UTS tickets at that location, subject to a minimum of €500/- per day may be imposed. ‘The disbursement of unreserved tickets by STBA shall be governed by the timings as decided by the concerned Railway, keeping in view the local conditions. ‘The STBA operator shall be allowed to sell all types of non- concessional unreserved tickets issued through UTS including platform tickets and season tickets, on cash basis only. Renewal of season fickets and issue of scnior citizen concessional tickets shall also be permitted. All other concessional tickets requiring documentary proof before issue of ticket, can also be issued by STBA only when endorsed and permitted by the ASM concerned, which shall be done priot to the sale of such concessional tickets. ‘The facility of ‘NI’ (Non-issued) ticket will be available to the STBA only when authorised/endorsed by the concerned SM/ASM.(K) Cancellation of ticket: The facility of cancellation of ticket may be extended to STBA only when authorised/endorsed by concerned a SM/ASM beforehand, (The Railway officer incharge of the station i.e. SM/ASM shall be responsible for the safe custody of the ticket rolls and it shall be his duty to handoveritakeover the ticket rolls daily from the STBA. Proper record of ticket rolls issued to the STBA shall be maintained at the stations. (m) Shift summary and details of daily summary of transaction handled by STBA shail be extracted through UTS and the STBA shall deposit | the cash accordingly to the Station Master/ASM at the end of the shift. (n) A consolidated statement of ticket rolls supplied and details of tickets sold by STBA shall be submitted by Station Mastet/Manager or any other nominated officer to DCM/Sr. DCM every month, (©) Zonal Railways shall have powers fo prescribe working guidelines within the framework of this scheme. The Railways shall also frame an. agreement to be signed with STBA based on these policy guidelines and as per provisions of Chapter-X of Indian Contract Act, 1872 and in consultation with the concerned Departments on the Railways. (p) In case STBA expresses inability to operate the counter(s) after higher selection by Zonal Railways, the bank guarantee as woll as security deposit furnished by him shall be forfeited and deposited in Railway accounts as per procedure, 6 Checks on Sale of Tickets by STBA: Apart from all the preseribed checks for sale of tickets from UTS, the following shall be ensured:- {@) Suitable mechanism may be put in place to guard against possibility of any fraud in issuance and accountal of UTS tickets. (b) Proper accountal of UTS ticket stationery may be ensured & surprise checks may be conducted on regular b (©) A close watch should be kept on the working of STBA and irregularity, if ‘any, must be reported to DCM/Sr. DCM for taking immediate corrective action, (@) Ticket checking staff of the division should keep a watch on the tickets issued. Jn case of any imegularity, immediate action shall be taken by the Sr. DCM/DCM by informing all concerned. (© Railways may also conduct periodical checks by Commercial and ‘Accounts staff on the working of the STBA,| } | 7, Backup arrangements by Railways: Back-up arrangements shall be available to take care of unforeseen circumstances such as non-umning up of STBA or unprecedented/seasonal rush where tiekets are required to be disbursed by Railway staff. SMs/ASMs posted at such stations should be made conversant with the functioning of UTS by giving them suitable training/refresher course, if required. 8 Period of engagement: Initially an STBA shall be engaged for a period of 3 years. An agreement shall be executed by the STBA with Sr. DCM or DCM. Fresh tender shall be floated well before the expiry of three years. In case of delay in finalisation of tender, existing agreement may be extended for 6 months or till finalisation of new agreement as per this scheme, which is earlier. However, such extension shall not exceed three years. 9. Termination: Bach side can terminate the agreement without assigning reasons by giving a notice of 30 days. However, in case of fraudriminal casc, Railway shall be at liberty to terminate the contract without giving any prior notice. 10. Disabling clause Engaging an individual as STBA shall not confer any right and/or claim whatsoever on the person to seek employment on Railways. No benefits viz. absorption in Railway service, regularization of service, bonus, railway pass {facilities ete. shall acorue to the STBA or his/her legal heirs. No claim in this regard shall be entertained, STBA shall keep Railways free from any liabilities in present or future, Suitable clause to this effect shall be incorporated in the Agreement, IL. Arbitration: To resolve any dispute or claim of any kind or nature arising under or in connection with this agreement between the parties, the standard arbitration clause tay be incorporated in the Agreement, senee| Annexure-A COMMISSION PAYABLE TO STATION TICKET BOOKING AGENTS (GTBAs) ENGAGED AT NSG 5 & NSG 6 CATEGORIES QF STATIONS ‘Commission ‘Cumulative (in ) Slabs | Sales Turnover| Commission —_pereentage (in %)__| payable on sales turnover _| payable (in 8) Slab I 1-15000 15% (minimum & S00/-) 2250 2250 Slab2 | 15001-50000 nome ceeeeetit 4200 640i | Siab3 [30001-10000 9% 4500 10950 00001-20000 a% 4000 14950 | 200001-300000 4% 4900 18050