I have completed one year today… ask me of what and prompt will be the answer … my struggle of getting my passport renewed at the Regional Passport Office in New Delhi!
A few weeks back I was reading a news article about Saina Nehwal finally getting her passport renewed after much dilly-dallying by the authorities, clearing her way to participate in the World Super Series Masters Badminton final in Malaysia in December 2008. “Wow! So at last she got her passport. She is really lucky.” - I said to myself at that time. I know how it is at the passport offices across our country. I had to travel to Japan on an official visit in Feb'08 so I applied for renewal in Jan'08.
It took more than 4 months for me to get it renewed. I had to literally fight with the passport officer, had to visit the passport office 7 times.
Its simply ridiculous out there. You can just walk in the passport office and you will understand the condition there. Its filthy. I met a couple in Mar'08 at the Regional Passport Office in New Delhi. They had applied for the passport 15 months back and when I met them, they told me that passport officers said their file was lost! Wow ... so after so many months, what they got was a great surprise!
I had written a mail to the Joint Secretary (jscpv@mea.gov.in) & Regional Passport officer (rpo.delhi@mea.gov.in) which am sharing with you all. So next time you are stuck with any problem with your issue/renewal of passport, you can drop a mail to these mail IDs.
Just enjoy the content of this mail. Its all TRUE!
From: Anand Dholi
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 11:18 AM
To: propg@mea.gov.in; jscpv@mea.gov.in; rpo.delhi@mea.gov.in
Cc: eahamed@hotmail.com; eahmed@sansad.nic.in; pkm@sansad.nic.in;
presidentofindia@rb.nic.in; contactus@pmo.nic.in
Subject: Complaint about Renewal of my Passport (File No. - NOT DISCLOSED HERE)
Importance: High
Hello Sir,
Sub.: Renewal of my passport No. (Not disclosed here).
File No.: NOT DISCLOSED
My name is Anand Dholi and I am a citizen of India by birth.
I have applied for renewal of my passport in the month of January and my
application file number is XXYYY (Not disclosed). My passport No. (Not disclosed here) expired on February 18th' 2008 and as it was going to expire in the month of February,I had applied well head of time in January. I was supposed to travel
outside India last month for business purpose, but due to non-availability
of my passport, I haven't been able to do so.
Till today, I have not received my renewed passport. I have visited the
Regional Passport Officer 3 times since January but in vain.
First I was told that they didn't have the CID Dispatch number with them.
Secondly when I went there with the same, I was told that the person who
does the updation was not in office. Surprisingly there was not a
replacement in the absence of this person (who does the updation).
Lastly when I went there yesterday, I was humiliated by your employees. No one
ready to listen to anything. That was a shock for me.
Is this what we get being a good citizen of India? Is this the way your
department works? Whats going on in the passport office? Is this what we
get being a citizen of India???
DOES IT TAKE MORE THAN 3 MONTHS IN INDIA TO GET A CITIZEN'S PASSPORT
RENEWED?
Some Interesting Facts:
1. My police verification was not done for 40 days after I applied for
the renewal. I went to the police station @ Gurgaon (Sector 40) to get my
verification done. I was asked for the 'Mithai' after the
verification. Its the police departments job to do the verification @ the
residence address but it didn't happen in my case at all.
2. I went to the CID Branch @ Gurgaon Mini Secretariat to get the
dispatch number (of Police Report File) myself. Is this my job or
responsibility when I apply for the passport?
3. When I went to the Regional Passport Office, I was told the dispatch
number was wrong. For god's sake ... it was given to me by a Govt. Employee @ CID Branch in Gurgaon.
4. The person who updates the CID Report records in the computer system
was absent the day I went and there was no person taking care of his
responsibilities at all. So does this mean that if a person is absent from
his duty, there will be no work done in the office?
Well ... I have lost all my hopes to get the passport renewed by now and
this has hampered my travel and my company's business.
If things like these continue, we, the citizens of India will lose hope in
the Govt. of India's offices and officers for sure.
I have nothing more to say now.
Regards,
Anand Dholi