In a bid to encourage cashless transaction, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has initiated a lottery system where customers who buy tickets through might get a 100 per cent cash back.

Commuters who would want to avail of this scheme would have purchase the rail tickets through IRCTC and also pay through their app BHIM or UPI. Passengers while paying for their tickets should opt for one of the two apps at the payment option which would make them eligible for the lottery. Every month five persons chosen through a random draw would get all their money refuned. They would be individually contacted over phone and email.

Authorities said that with the initiation of this scheme, people would be more encouraged to buy tickets online and there will be less crowd at ticket counters. This step would be a shot in the arm to the Centre which has been trying to promote cashless transactions.

Sources at IRCTC said that the lucky draw scheme had been started at the end of last year and looking at the prospective the scheme had been okayed to be continued till March 2007 on a trial basis. After that a meeting would be conducted to decide where it would be continued. Prior to this IRCTC had been giving free travel insurance to passengers of all confirmed tickets purchased through IRCTC.

It was found out that at present nearly 60 per cent of all long distance tickets are purchased through e-ticketing system of IRCTC. They are hopeful that through this scheme the figure would reach at least 70 per cent.