DK district administration intervenes to set right Passport Service Centre.

17.06.10 Mangalore : Ever since a new Passport Seva Kendra was opened, after years of struggle and demand for passports in Mangalore, in Kodialbail, it has not worked in a proper manner and to the satisfaction of local people who seek passports. The Congress Youth members had a fight with the officers who hid under the tables and locked themselves in toilets, leaving the air-conditioned rooms to the noisy demonstrators. Now police have moved into the Centre to provide accurate information to the public as to where their applications are and how much time it takes to receive a passport. The teething troubles in the Seva Kendra appear to be hopefully over now, since district administration has moved in and DC has been well trained abroad recently. The passport seekers will not have to fall into the hands of brokers and commission agents willingly hereafter.

The passport office was expected to open daily at nine O’clock in the morning but the officials never opened the office at 9.30 Am, as on Tuesday (June15). This has irked the DCO, which does not want queues in front of the P.S. Kendra on the road in Kodialbail. Every one seeking a token should receive it, said the protestors who had stormed the office a few days back. People come to Mangalore from Karwar for a token before securing the passport. This week the difficulties in obtaining a passport had increased due to faulty computers, power failures and lack of time to consider formalities etc. thereby stressing upon the need for “servers” in the office.

Presently the “servers” problem has been overcome. But the delay in token issue continues, which has tested the patience of people arriving from the Udupi and North Kanara districts, and spend extra money on lodges and hotel food here. The DC and local MLA have visited the PSK recently to set right the procedural matters. They gave suitable instructions to the officers of PSK on Thursday.