Security feature in passports adds to delay

Tarini Puri, TNN | May 8, 2013

PUNE: More than 3,500 approved passport applications with the regional passport office in Pune are pending to be issued because of a new, peculiar problem. A security feature has been added to passports to make their duplication impossible, but printing machines are unable to print this new, improved version of the document.
The new feature has the ghost image of the passport holders on each leaf and their personal details in small font embedded in this image, a feature in passports of many other countries. These new-age passports, the first batch of which was rolled out in Chennai in mid-April, were introduced by the ministry of external affairs to end the menace of fake passports.

Other changes being made to the passport include shifting of personal details of the passport holder from the inner cover to page two and other particulars from the first page to page 35. The signature and seal of the passport issuing authority, which were earlier on page 1 will now be on the overleaf of the front cover. Double laminations are also a new feature. Existing passports will be replaced only on their expiry.

Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, regional passport officer Shakuntala Rane admitted that her office was facing problems in aligning the passport printing machines to the new feature. "We have printed a few passports with the added feature. But, it is a new style of printing and the machines are not tuned to it so far, which is delaying the process. We have a backlog of about 3,500 passports because of this, but we are working in double shifts to hasten the delivery," she said.

While officials are busy tackling this new problem, grievances against the existing system including those against agents, delays in police verifications and ambiguity of procedures at the Passport Seva Kendra in Mundhwa continued to pour in. Applicants said it had been since promises had been made to iron out their woes, but nothing had changed so far.

A harried applicant, Mehjabeen Memon, said her application was rejected by officials at Mundhwa on Tuesday as she did not have a birth certificate but had furnished an affidavit for the same. Memon had then rushed to the RPO and sought her intervention. "Affidavit is accepted as proof of age for people born before 1989. Why did officials at Mundhwa make me run around for no reason," she said. Memon's application was later accepted after she got the signature of RPO Shakuntala Rane on it.

Applicants also complained about the delay in police verification. Senior police officials said they were still in the process of digitizing applications, after which they would be able to meet the monthly targets.

Sandeep Khardekar, co-convener of Pune passport grievances forum, said they are now thinking of filing a public interest litigation on the passport issue. "None of the promises made at our meeting with senior ministry officials have been met. Most of their promises are still only on paper, including pre - payment for appointments and collection centres in districts. We continue to get the same kind of complaints even now. The blame game between police and RPO officials is still on. Despite top most ministry officials intervening, it is a sorry state of affairs in Pune. We are working on filing a PIL on the matter," he said.

While Rane has assured to look into the issue of officials misguiding applicants at the seva kendra in Mundhwa, she denied allegations of any nexus with "agents". Rane also pointed out that the number of people coming to her for appointments has reduced since the number of online application slots were increased from 775 to 1,100.