HOT TOPICS
SPOTLIGHT AGENCIES
Citizen Services : Passports, online system and agents!
Written By Sanjeev - 1 February, 2013
Bangalore egovernance Analysis MEA passport renewal aadhaar
On paper, there are no agents or touts who facilitate appointments in the passport-issuing process. On the ground, the story's different — there are several instances of passport applicants seeking the help of touts to avoid getting stranded in the endless wait for appointments.
While applicants claim their efforts to get an online appointment have sometimes dragged on for months, travel agents and touts claim they can arrange a meeting with officials in 14-21 days.
Karuna Patil, who's working with an IT major, discovered this the hard way. When her company asked her to produce a passport as identity proof, she had to run from pillar to post. Karuna, from Shimoga, couldn't get an online appointment for over two months. Frustrated, she paid an agent in her hometown to get an appointment and got one within two weeks.
"This shows that agents have their way in passport services. The common man is forced to go through them," said Karuna's father Venu Patil , who came from Shimoga to Bangalore to assist his daughter.
Recently, the ministry of external affairs decided to make it mandatory for applicants to pay fees online while making appointments with passport offices on the web. But touts and agents are still able to set up appointments with the help of their contacts in the passport office.
Mohammed Azam, from Mysore, told TOI he tried applying for a new passport for himself and his daughter while trying to renew his wife's passport. "We tried to get an online appointment for the three of us, but the appointment letter had just me and my wife. I went to an internet cafe and tried to get the online appointment for my daughter, but failed to get one even after trying for two weeks. We went to a travel agent for an appointment for my daughter and he got one in just two days," he said.
Thanks to TOI for bringing ou this article. See how our country is using Technology and making life togh.
When such demand for slots exists, how is that online slot booking gets closed every day in few secounds. This iself shows things are not fine with PSK's and look at 4 centers for Karnataka state. Is this what we call e-governance???
COMMENTS
Adhaar as UID is Number, a card or both???
Sanjeev - 1 February, 2013 - 18:52
Confusion over whether the unique identity number is a number, a card or both, and concerns over UID and the National Population Register duplicating functions prompted the Cabinet to refer UPA-2's ambitious project to a group of ministers.
The Cabinet discussion on Thursday revealed that the ministerial panel was not immune from contradictory and blurred perceptions about Aadhaar, as UID is known, with some ministers saying they had received a card along with a number.
Those who voiced doubts about UID's format included coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, minister for social justice and empowerment Selja, minister for heavy industry Praful Patel and railway minister Pawan Bansal.
For more read here
kbsyed61 - 2 February, 2013 - 01:52
Talking of limited slots for appointments to enroll into Aadhar program or applying for passport is definitely a sore point among citizens. It definitely needs to be expand exponentially to meet the rush. I could only conclude it as capacity issue than anything else.
Recently my sister-in-law and my niece was able to apply for the passport as well as enroll for Aadhar number without having to use the touts. Off-coarse it was a great deal to book a slot for passport application.
Easier job is to criticize it. Most difficult is to suggest remedies that resolves the issues. Definitely a fit case for understanding the issues in PSKs, Aadhar enrollment etc.
Governance is not all about technology, ease etc. It is more about willingness to make it easy.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet an IFS officer Dr. Bala Bhaskar who was posted here at Indian Embassy in Washington DC. During the conversation he mentioned that during his stint as Regional Passport Officer, around 2008 he had organized Passport Meals across Andhra Pradesh. Basically instead of waiting for public come to Passport Office, he took the Passport Office to the public.
So moral of the story, if you are willing you will find the ways to do it, like our BESCOM chief.
How will the PSK's will work for other small cities residents
Sanjeev - 2 February, 2013 - 03:30
As present system, one need to submit the documents at PSK's only which are four centers in Karnataka.
People are forced to travell by spending time & amount and greace the Touts & others in the chain to get the things done.
Earlier system was citizens residing in small towns / villagers need to visit their post office and submit the application, they generally get the passport in 40 - 60 days. Offcourse their were some issues like people were able to get the illegal passport in this process.
As technology is made available thru Telecom revolution, required data capturing for Passport should have been enabled at all Dist Hq of every state either at Head post office at each Dist Hq. Then after data capturing, applicant need to submit the passport application in same designated post office. As the demand for passport other then the Bangalore will be less, so the people could have easily applied for the passport.
New system is centralised one with online data base, it needs to mature and my feeling maturity is very slow in this case and with 10 years passport shelf life, I am affraid, demand for passports will increase with renewals.
So effect is IT enabled process passport is helping integration of higher activites in the chain , but making people at the lower end struggel who can't use technology.
Aadhar Confusion - Wish Ministers and others had read this?
kbsyed61 - 2 February, 2013 - 03:49
Wish UPA ministers and others who are flaunting ignorance had read this on UIDAI website.
Retaliatory Action - Compliant lodged with MEA!
kbsyed61 - 5 February, 2013 - 03:14
A formal complaint in individual capacity has been lodged with MEA citing newspaper reports about retaliatory action by Bangalore Passport Officer.
PRAJA.IN COMMENT GUIDELINES
Posting Guidelines apply for comments as well. No foul language, hate mongering or personal attacks. If criticizing third person or an authority, you must be fact based, as constructive as possible, and use gentle words. Avoid going off-topic no matter how nice your comment is. Moderators reserve the right to either edit or simply delete comments that don't meet these guidelines. If you are nice enough to realize you violated the guidelines, please save Moderators some time by editing and fixing yourself. Thanks!