The Times of India: Delhi: Thursday, June 21, 2012.
In January, I got my passport is sued in Delhi within five days. No hassles, no standing in line. Please do not ask me how. You know how. You just have to know someone. I knew someone, who knew someone. We have the most wonderful and helpful system in the world.
-Sushil Verma, Kolkata
My mother's passport was held up for six months just for photographs. We were never informed that the photographs were missing. It only came to my knowledge when I confronted the Delhi regional passport officer and sat in his office demanding immediate issuance of my passport. I was lucky to receive my passport the next day through the office superintendent who came personally to handover the document.
-Sanjeet Teri, Delhi
I applied for a passport on April 4, 2011, exactly a week after my mother and brother. Everybody, from the vigilance officer to the police official, took Rs 500 for their endorsements, but my passport hasn't materialised. I have lived in the same house since March 2009, yet I was told to submit a PPF form, which is required only if the applicant has stayed at an address for less than a year. I have sought information under RTI thrice, but the passport office maintains it does not have my PPF forms. The police in their reply to my RTI query clearly state that the passport office can issue me a passport. I tried showing the entire string of RTIs to the passport officer in Ghaziabad but he refused to go through it, was rude and told me to never visit him again.
-Pankaj Adhikari, Ghaziabad
I got my passport after 18 months only when I lost my cool after having to stand in a queue seven times. Meanwhile, the passport of my wife Sudha Goel is still under process after six months. Reason: "Police verificatio completed on 26 March 2012. Your passport will be dispatched after 'clear' police report is received at regional passport office". It could take forever for a 'clear' police verification report.
-RB Goel
It present, appointments are given for only the next couple of work days. The authority should open slots for the next 10 to 20 days. Applicants will be happy to get an appointment after 20 days, rather than having to log in for appointment day after day without expecting anything.
-Hardik, Bangalore
I couldn't get a passport for my daughter in India, even though she had a passport and had been to the US. They insisted on an affidavit from the Indian consulate in the US to grant the passport, and it takes forever to get the proofs that go along with the affidavits and passport. It's an impractical passport application procedure. The police verification is nothing but a way to milk applicants.
-Ashok, US
I have a few suggestions to make the passport system better. If there are more applicants than the sanctioned limit, increase the counters or open more PSKs. With TCS doing the front-office job, this should be possible without much hassle. More than this, the police verification process needs to be streamlined. Point of attention: the department's internal communication still makes use of traditional methods (sending through post only). Unless all the agencies part of the passport mechanism are electronically connected, PSKs will be of no use.
-Srinivasan, Chennai
For online applicants, the passport authority should accept and scrutinize soft copies of documents at the time of giving appointment. Anyone who has applied once should not need to register again. If the applicant is Indian by birth, having a school certificate, ration card and documents, these should be accepted.
-Suresh, Chennai
When I visited the ITO office for my son's passport, I found that things could not be worse. In the last few years, I have visited the Delhi passport office on several occasions but the behaviour of the staff was never as rude as I witnessed today. They were almost abusive towards most applicants, particularly the poorer ones, many of whom were in tears. The TCS staff is as rude as the MEA staff. To top it all, they ask you to fill a feedback/suggestions slip before handing over the receipt of your completed application.
-Gaurav, Delhi
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