Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena says a large-scale fraud is taking place after the e-tickets for the Upcountry Railway line to Ella were released online and sold out within 42 seconds,
The Deputy Minister, who revealed this while expressing his views at the Kandy District Coordination Committee meeting, emphasized that a complaint has been filed with the Criminal Investigation Department regarding the ticket scam.
The Kandy District Coordination Committee meeting was held yesterday (15) at the Kandy District Secretariat auditorium under the patronage of its co-chairmen, Minister K.D. Lalkantha and Central Province Governor Sarath Abeykoon.
He also said that around 200 tickets are released online every weekend, and there are reports of groups buying up all the tickets in this way selling a ticket worth Rs. 2,000 to foreigners for Rs. 16,000.
The Deputy Minister said that this racket of selling train tickets at higher prices is being carried out centered around the Colombo Fort, Kandy and Ella railway stations, and that there is information that people who park three-wheelers in the railway station premises are getting help for this.
The Railways Department releases e-tickets valid for the relevant date on the internet a month in advance, and while waiting for them to be released, all the tickets are being sold out in a short time of 42 seconds.