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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
March 31,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 31: Kerala reported its second COVID-19 death after a 68-year-old man being treated for the virus, died at the Government Medical College Hospital here in the early hours on Tuesday.

The victim, Abdul Aziz, a retired ASI hailing from Pothencode here, was admitted to the isolation ward on March 23 with the symptoms of the Corona infection. He was also suffering from lung and kidney diseases.

Though his first test result for COVID-19 turned negative, the second test result confirmed positive, official sources said.

However, it was not known from where he caught the virus infection. leaving chances for a secondary contract of a COVID-19 patient.

His funeral will take place as per the protocol, the sources added.

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: With an increase of 10,974 new cases and 2,003 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 3,54,065 on Wednesday while the toll due to the virus stands at 11,903.

This includes 1,55,227 active cases and 1,86,935 cured, discharged and migrated patients, according to the Union Health Ministry.

While the spike in the number of cases has stayed below the 11-thousand mark, the death toll has increased manifold today as compared to the 380 death reported on Tuesday.

Maharashtra with 1,13,445 cases continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 50,057 active cases while 57,851 patients have been cured and discharged in the state so far. The toll due to COVID-19 has crossed the five thousand mark and reached 5,537 in the state.

It is followed by Tamil Nadu with 48,019 and the national capital with 44,688 confirmed cases.

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Agencies
January 15,2020

New Delhi, Jan 15: Suspended Deputy Superintendent of J&K Police Davinder Singh had ferried Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Naveed Babu to Jammu last year also and facilitated his return to Shopian after "rest and recuperation", officials interrogating him said here Tuesday.

"Meri mati maari gayi thi (I must have lost my mind to do what I did)," an interrogator quoted Singh as saying after the DSP failed to impress them with his theory of catching a big terrorist.

Singh was arrested last Saturday along with Naveed Babu alias Babar Azam, a resident of Nazneenpora in South Kashmir's Shopian district, and his associate Asif Ahmad.

He is believed to have taken Rs 12 lakh for smuggling the two to Chandigarh for providing them accommodation for a couple of months, officials said. The officials, who have been spending considerable time questioning Singh, said there have been many inconsistencies in his statements and everything was being crosschecked and corroborated with the confessions of captured militants who have been kept in different rooms at an interrogation centre in South Kashmir.

During questioning it emerged that Singh had taken them to Jammu in 2019 also, the officials said.

In a tone laced with sarcasm, they said the DSP was taking the militants for "rest and recuperation".

Naveed told the interrogators that they used to stay in the hilly regions to avoid the J&K police and left the areas to escape harsh winters, they said.

The official said the DSP's bank accounts and other assets were being verified by the police and papers were being collected, amid speculations that the case may be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Going into the service history of Singh, majority of retired and serving officials of the JKP spoken to referred to a proverb -- coming events cast their shadows long before -- to say that if action had been taken against the officer during his probation period, such things would not have happened.

Recruited in 1990 as a sub-inspector, Singh along with another probationary officer were subject of an internal enquiry where some narcotics had been seized from a truck. However, the contraband was sold by Singh and another sub-inspector, the officials recalled.

There was a move to dismiss them from the service which was stalled by an Inspector General rank officer purely on humanitarian ground and the duo was shifted to the Special Operations Group, a team of policemen engaged in counter-militancy offensive.

However, he could not last there for long and was shifted this time to the police lines only to be rehabilitated in 1997 again in the SOG.

During this period, he was posted in Budgam and is alleged to have indulged in extortion for which he was sent back to the police lines.

His proper rehabilitation began in 2015 by the then Director General of Police K Rajendra, who posted him in district headquarters of Shopian and Pulwama, the officials said.

However, after some alleged wrongdoing during his stint in Pulwama, the then Director General of Police S P Vaid transferred him in August 2018 to the sensitive Anti-Hijacking Unit in Srinagar, though the move was opposed by some other officers.

An advocate, Irfan Ahmad Mir, was driving the vehicle when they were caught by the police on National Highway in Kulgam district.

The advocate, who has also been arrested, had travelled to Pakistan five times on an Indian passport.

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