Srinagar, May 11: The dream railway line is yet to reach Kashmir Valley but the menace of corruption often associated with the largest public sector undertaking of the country has already spread its tentacles to the newly-opened reservations counters here. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his landmark visit to Kashmir in the middle of last month, where he extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan, applied a healing touch of his own to the sufferings of the people by inaugurating six railway reservation counters in the valley.

But as soon as the reservations counters began functioning the menace of corruption also caught with them. People here in the summer capital of the state complain that when they go to the counter at tourist reception centre for getting train tickets, the railway staff show them the door saying no confirmed tickets are available.

But a travel agent gives the confirmed tickets for the same train and the same date as requested for. "Amazing it is as we were made to believe that there is no manipulation possible with computerised counters," said Aija Ahmad, who is travelling to Bangalore to appear in the Common Entrance Test to be held at the end of this month.

The students of Kashmir Valley are making a beeline to other states of the country to secure a place for themselves in a professional degree course, giving the travel agent-railway official nexus an opportunity to make some fast buck. Bureau Report