You might be president of some company, General Manager , Employee of private or Public sector, a mother, a son or anybody I challenge you to get passport from Hyderabad passport office as per the published norms in official website. It may be “TATKAL” or “NORMAL” option it is beyond human capabilities to obtain passport from RPO Hyderabad. May be tiny few who fortunate enough to get passport in “NORMAL” way. I do not know whom to blame. RPO employees, they are relentlessly working , checking your Passport applications, verifying them , accepting them and rejecting them as per the procedure and issuing passports who are eligible for the same. Passport employees, Police and Agents and everybody is working very hard but still we face problems. Recently I have approached RPO Hyderabad to renew passport, I have tried by standing in queue for two days, which was a futile attempt. Then I went to a passport agent and able to submit the passport applications for renewal seamlessly. System should work to address concerns of its citizens but it is addressing only privileged few. Why?
I will narrate my arduous journey to renew my passport. I kept trying for “TATKAL” appointment date on http://passport.gov.in it never allowed me to book an appointment date. System developed by National Informatics Center (NIC), let you enter the data and displays possible appointment date, But never let me to book the appointment, you know how frustrating this is . I came to know occasionally it does let you book the date, but I have wasted hours together and realized it is beyond my capabilities. It is Quiet similar to Railway TATKAL booking J
Somehow I could manage to get an appointment date in Jun 2010 and I have approached RPO Hyderabad after a month . There is considerable delay on my part. At RPO Hyderabad, there is huge group outside the gate, however Police verified my documents and informed me to get it endorsed by Superintendent as it was having old date and time stamp. Then I thought “wow” , everybody is struggling outside gate, But I was managed to get inside without any hassles, I have patted on my back . People like me with old dates are in huge in number. We all went for signature in 1st floor like somebody hunting us. Superintendent came and endorsed the old date applications and informed me alone that your application data will not appear on our systems as it was older than month. Still I have requested him to endorse to try my luck and he obliged.
I thought he was bluffing, I picked up my Nokia and requested my friend to cross check the availability of my application data on website and he did tak…tak… on his keyboard and told me “hey man I am able to see your application on http://passport.gov.in”. Then I was cursing Superintendent inside my mind and looking for the people who got signature earlier from Superintendent. I did not find anyone of them. They just came like wind and gone from the 1st floor . I do not know where they all have gone and whom to ask. I looked at the guy who sat next to me and looked at his application, there was a stamp and date ( It was called as token) . He was telling me to get the token. I was hesitant to move but I have realized I need token after seeing couple of other applications. I asked him where should I get token, he suggested me to go to cellar.
After I went down, I have seen a huge queue of more than 500 people. I have joined at the tail end of the queue as disciplined citizen. Just imagine yourself behind such queue. Still I told myself I can pull it. I stood in the queue patiently, some people before me joining/leaving the queue. Police is at their best controlling the crowed and assuring everybody you will get a token. These wise words were promising. We are waiting like kids (for chocolate) thinking when will be my turn ?. Queue is progressing slowly like snail , suddenly the guy who was issuing tokens vacated his seat and told the people that tokens are over. I have to see, whole queue was dismantled within seconds and people are going out, I am clueless what to do, in between my wife is pestering what happened ?. I was trying to understand the situation while police asked us to leave.
Everybody left except 15 member group and we are reasoning out with police believing it will prevail… Police was trying to convince us. But we requested them to allow us to meet Superintendent. We requested Superintendent to endorse our 15 applications for next day at least. So that we will have better chance for next day. Superintendent rejected our suggestion and asked us to come tomorrow. Police were kind enough to say “ you guys show up tomorrow, we will allow you early”. Among our group couple of guys who were having same day appointment, still their applications were not accepted. I could not able to bare this injustice and called Passport support at Ministry of External Affairs Delhi and told them that some of us have today’s appointment still our applications were not accepted. Official from Delhi asked us to go to Chief passport officer at RPO Hyderabad. I requested her to escalate our concern to Chief passport officer RPO Hyderabad and persuade him to accept the application. She declined to do that. Finally we were decided to come next day.
The next day I showed up with my application, they asked me to wait. There was some change in entry procedure , Initially they allowed only same day applications. Later previous day applications. Some say you don’t need to endorse it , others say differently. Finally we have endorsed to be on safer side and stood in the queue and got the Token. Then ran like cheetah to the counter, she gladly accepted the application…inside I was happy and hesitant. After checking , Finally she gave me blow on my face “ Your application my data is not coming in our system” and asked me to wait. I waited and called my friend to check whether it is available or not ? on http://passport.gov.in. He is able to pull the application, then I approached her and informed that application is available on website. She said I have tried twice, I can’t try any more. As a last resort I went to “Superintendent” , he gave me a nasty look and said “I told you so”. I have informed that I am able to pull application on http://passport.gov.in on website and you are saying it is not coming. How can you address this…? he said “There is no relation between that server and this server”. I did not have stomach to argue much came back scratching my head. After that I have realized, System accepts my application number but It needs district as “Hyderbad-tatkal”. Few weeks ago because of some fraud they have removed “Hyderbad-tatkal” option and kept only “Hyderbad” option . Now there is no way they can pull my application. I have consoled, myself and back to home with “What next” because “No” is not an answer.
I have checked with some agent and came to know http://passport.gov.in generating applications without any time stamp. So the next day plan is to stand in queue early with new set of applications. I thought of coming at 2AM midnight and stand in the queue, but I have postponed to 4 AM and practically at 6:00 AM I am at queue. My new applications does not have timestamp hence I can’t stand in the queue which is little smaller. There is TATKAL queue without any timestamp. I thought of looking end of TATKAL queue with my eyes, but end is not visible. So I took the car to see its end. Finally I traced it approximately more than 1000 people are in Queue by 6:30 AM. You can imagine how many people wanted to run away from India J. I told myself I am not going to stand in queue. I have made couple of calls and went to a agent and finally submitted the application. If I try regular route for a month also there is no guarantee that I could have submitted the application.
It is sickening to watch people stand in the queue in hot sun fighting each other, since eve of the day for next day to submit the applications. Ladies with week old babies, Elderly people, Students, Foreign job seekers educated and uneducated and others. I am sure they deserve respect and better treatment from the system. What is this all about , It is just document /booklet why so much fuss about this?. We are sending rockets into space can’t we make this right ? Why not ?. It was functioning well some time ago, I was able to get my passport renewed in just two days in 2005. Why is so much difficulty and problem now? Somewhere system went wrong. I leave it to your imagination
After watching the show being a vanguard here are my thoughts.
1. District people should NOT apply in Hyderabad, Accept the applications at district level both NORMAL and TATKAL
2. Let E-SEVA Kendra accepts both TATKAL and NORMAL applications under strict guidelines, If there are issues while preparing the passport issue a note to come and meet with specific date and Time at Passport office with necessary documentation.
3. Let Agents submit the applications in small number.
4. Why can’t we Keep It Simple. Just have Birthdates ( 10th Class/something else) as more documentation is leading to delay in turnaround time for processing the application and in many cases causes many trips to RPO.
5. Improve the website and give date and timestamp for everybody. Just allow only who is having date and timestamp and also mention the Counter number during the filling of the application on website. Individual can decide whether he needs TATKAL/NORMAL option. Giving counter number avoids long queues and abolishes token system.
6. Issue passports for a period of 10 years for kids and 15 years with 60 page booklet for adults.
7. Support function at RPO Hyd to address the needs of the people.
I am sure these measures will help everyone. I hope this will reach sensible people and they will make some sensible decisions which will help us all.
