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Passport office to clear 500 more online applications daily

June 21, 2012

Passport_500

New Delhi, June 21: Shaken by the rising public anger against messy implementation of the new internet-based passport application system, the ministry of external affairs on Wednesday put in place a number of measures that are expected to make it easier for people to apply for passports. Some of these measures will come into effect immediately and a few more are likely to be announced on Friday.

Among the steps taken right away is a hike in the number of daily online appointments by 500. This is expected to ease up some pressure on applicants. Right now, the window for making online applications is exceedingly short. The hike by 500 is expected to make this window a little larger. What's more, the passport office will now work also on Saturdays in Delhi. In other words, 12,000 more passport applications will be dealt with every month.

These measures, as well as some more, were taken in the wake of The Times of India highlighting the pain of passport applicants in a series of reports. "We have treated the matter with utmost concern after the TOI reports. We will be releasing more appointment slots every day, little by little, and in 15 days you will see a definite impact," said chief passport officer (CPO) and joint secretary in the MEA, Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi.

The MEA has said that all Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) will be increasing their capacity to deal with applicants over the next fortnight. The ministry also said that family tokens will be issued to allow family members to seek appointments together. In order to tackle touts and recalcitrant babus, the ministry said the online process would be made more transparent and anyone asking for money to play the system would face strict action.

Ministry officials promised that the website would be revisited to ensure that all requirement of documents are clearly mentioned. This will ensure that there will be no suprises or whimsical demands for documents. Together with the stick, the ministry is expected to shortly announce the carrot - a monetary incentive policy for those clearing a higher number of applications.

The ministry has decided to make one passport centre dedicated for passports under the Tatkal scheme. Right now because of the mess, Tatkal passport application do not get any real advantage despite paying an additional Rs 2,500.

Starting Thursday, the Bhikaji Cama Place PSK will accommodate 500 more online appointments, taking the total number of booking slots allotted to Delhi to 2,000. Pardeshi claimed that PSKs in Delhi have been witnessing a trend of roughly 30% online applicants not showing up on the appointed day. Calling it a "sheer waste of resource", Pardeshi said the MEA has factored in this absenteeism and will release more slots accordingly.

A special token intended to serve families better is also in the pipeline. TOI readers had complained that they couldn't book online appointments for their families on the same day as theirs. This new token, Pardeshi said, would solve this problem.

The ambiguities in the passport application process have been another concern. Both MEA and Tata Consultancy Services have claimed that the new system is "absolutely transparent" and "smooth". When TOI investigated the issue, it found that information pertaining to the mandatory documents displayed on the portal, www.passportindia.gov.in, was not in consonance with the ones asked by the PSKs. When PSKs were asked the reason, they said they reserved the right to demand additional documents.

This will not happen anymore, said the CPO. "We are working on our portal and will soon upload an advisory for applicants. The process will be explained in detail and hopefully, nobody will face any inconvenience at the PSKs in terms of 'surprise demands'," Pardeshi said.

But what about those people who fail to book appointments online and have to seek help from agents, who charge hefty amounts for bookings? "We are issuing instructions to all passport offices to lodge FIRs against anyone found claiming to arrange for multiple bookings in exchange for money. We are also considering an idea to rope in the postal department into the process. Post offices can book online appointments for a token fee and keep agents out of the picture completely," said Basant K Gupta, additional secretary, consular passport & visa division, MEA.

Passport promises

500 more online appointment slots for Passport Seva Kendra at Bhikaji Cama Place, taking total number of slots for Delhi to 2,000.

Tokens to allow entire family to turn up on same day for appointment.

Passport offices to lodge FIRs against those promising multiple bookings for fee.

Post offices may be alllowed to book online appointments for applicants without Net access.

Website to list details of all mandatory documents. PSKs can't turn away applicants by saying they reserve right to demand additional papers.

Likely announcements on Friday

Dedicated office for processing Tatkaal applications.

All passport offices to work on Saturdays too.

Special incentive scheme for staff for faster processing.

Quote

We have treated the matter with utmost concern after the TOI reports. In 15 days you will see a definite impact

—Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi, chief passport officer

Times View

It's good that the authorities are responding to media reports on the problems being faced by passport applicants. It's hoped that what's been announced will actually be done right away. We want a transparent and an efficient system for issuing passports. And an Internet-based system can achieve that. Transparency will, of course, mean that certain vested interests - from touts to corrupt passport office babus - will be badly hit. And these interests are trying to derail a more transparent system. There must be a firm message from the top that the system will be cleaned up and anyone found to be subverting it will be dealt with firmly.

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News Network
May 23,2020

New Delhi, May 23: Carrying a sack full of belongings and a backpack on shoulders daily wager Mohammed Sunny and his friend Mohammed Danish are determined to reach home for Eid in Bihar's Araria district, facing all odds stacked up against them.

Shahjehanpur native Adesh Singh with his wife and three little children, who left their residence in south Delhi three days ago, are still scrambling to reach home, haggling with taxi drivers, to take them to their home town charging a reasonable fare.

This was among the many scenes of migrants' life on Friday at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border touching Ghazipur in east Delhi who are struggling to make their way to their native places amid a COVID-19-induced lockdown across the country.

"We left home three days ago near Chhatarpur, we have walked and rested by roadsides, people gave us food on the way, so we survived. Now, we just want to reach home, we can't survive in Delhi," Manju Singh, wife of Adesh Singh told PTI as she waited at the UP Gate to get a taxi to cross the border on way to her home.

Their three children Alok (12), Ankesh (8) and Rupali (9), all wearing simple masks, were seen squatting on the roadside beside their luggage as their wearied parents, using cloths to cover their nose and mouth, bargained with taxi drivers to take them home, without charging much above the regular fare, saying they "did not have much cash left".

Police personnel could be seen asking many migrants who were marching on foot towards the inter-state border, to turn back.

Many did, but not Sunny and Danish, who feel if "Allah wants us to reach home, we surely will".

Both of them worked at a chemical plant in Delhi, and said, they have been "kicked out" after the lockdown was imposed, making their survival difficult in the national capital.

"We don't have money to pay rent now, or buy food, we have to go home now, what option do we have," Sunny said.

Danish alleged that the poor have been "abandoned" by the government and left in the lurch.

"The government has money to bring home Indians stranded abroad, but can't take home the Indians who have been toiling hard all these years. Is it fair to us," he asked.

"But, Inshallah, we will reach home if the Almighty wants us to, and will be joining our family for Eid, though it will hardly be a celebration this time. But, we want the comfort of being with our family at least," Sunny said.

Eid which marks the end of the holy Ramzan month, will be celebrated either on Sunday or Monday, depending on sighting of the moon.

Lakhs of migrant labourers stranded away from home in Delhi and other big cities have been attempting to reach home in the last two months, a large number of them walking on foot after they found no mode of conveyance.

The coronavirus death toll in Delhi has mounted to 208, while 660 fresh cases of COVID-19 infection reported on Friday, the highest single-day spike here, took the total in the city to 12,319.

Roshan Shrivastav (19), his nephew Shivam Shrivastav (19) and friend Prince Gupta (21), all hailing from Siwan in Bihar, were seen standing on a pavement after being told by the police to turn back from the barricade posted bear the Delhi-UP border.

"We live together in Baljeet Nagar in West Delhi, in a single room. I had come from Bihar after Holi, seeking a job, but then I got stuck in lockdown here without a job. Whatever money I had brought, and Rs 10,000 our parents had sent online, all has got exhausted in these three months," Roshan lamented.

"Our landlord has been very kind, and didn't even ask for any rent after the lockdown, but how long can we survive on charity. And, I don't like being dependent on someone, so we want to go home," he said.

Roshan said, he and Shivam, both also write and sing songs in Hindi and their native tongue Bhojpuri.

"We have written a few lines on lockdown crisis too -- 'Hum mazdooran ke ghar bhejwa da sarkar, nahin to ketna log hiyan par ho jai bimar' (please send us home or else many would fall sick here)," Shivam said, as he stood in scorching heat of May, carrying his leftover cash in pocket and hope in heart. 

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Agencies
August 6,2020

Ahmedabad, Aug 6: In a major incident, a fire broke out in a Covid-designated hospital in Ahmedabad killing eight coronavirus patients. The mishap occurred in the wee hours of Thursday.

All the victims were in the ICU ward, where the fire is said to have started. Officials said that they all died on the spot while 41 other patients were shifted to other hospitals following a rescue operation. One paramedic staff of the hospital who tried to douse the fire sustained burn injuries.  

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who is also the health minister, said that primary information has revealed that fire was caused by the short circuit in the ICU ward where eight patients were under treatment. 

He said that 41 other patients were shifted to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel hospital. The incident happened at Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura which is one of the Covid-19 designated hospitals. Over 300 patients have recovered at the hospital in the last two months.

Among the victims were five men and three women. They have been identified as Arif Mansuri, Narendra Shah, Manu Rami, Leelvati Shah, Navneet Shah, Jyoti Sindhi, Manu Rami and Ayesha Tirmizi  

Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Saddened by the tragic hospital fire in Ahmedabad. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to CM @vijayrupanibjp Ji and Mayor
@ibijalpatel Ji regarding the situation. Administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected."

Soon after the tweet, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered a probe into the matter to be conducted by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home, Sangeeta Singh and ACS (Urban Development) Mukesh Puri. 

They have been asked to submit a report in three days. Meanwhile, the hospital building has been sealed for further investigation. 

The chief minister has ordered a report within three days.

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Agencies
July 2,2020

New Delhi, Jul 2: In the midst of India's tense border standoff with China, the defence ministry on Thursday approved procurement of a number of frontline fighter jets, missile systems and other platforms at a cost of Rs 38,900 crore to bolster the combat capability of the armed forces, officials said.

They said 21 MiG-29 fighter jets are being bought from Russia while 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft will be procured from Russia. The ministry has also approved a separate proposal to upgrade existing 59 MiG-29 aircraft.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The procurement of 21 MiG-29 and upgrading of the existing fleet of MiG-29 are estimated to cost the government Rs 7,418 crore while purchase of 12 new Su-30 MKI from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will be made at a cost of Rs 10,730 crore, the officials said.

The DAC also approved procurement of long-range land-attack cruise missile systems with a range of 1,000 KM and Astra Missiles for Navy and Air Force.

The officials said cost of these design and development proposals is in the range of Rs 20,400 crore.

"While acquisition of Pinaka missile systems will enable raising additional regiments over and above the ones already inducted, addition of long-range land attack missile systems having a firing range of 1000 KM to the existing arsenal will bolster the attack capabilities of the Navy and the Air Force," said a defence ministry official.

"Similarly induction of Astra Missiles having beyond visual range capability will serve as a force multiplier and immensely add to the strike capability of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force," he said.

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