MLC intervenes for better facilities at Passport Seva Kendra

MANGALORE: The woes of passport applicants standing outside braving harsh weather elements should come to a close within a fortnight.' The Passport Seva Kendra officials have assured MLC Ivan D'Souza that the necessary arrangements would be done so that passport applicants need not stand outside in a queue. D'Souza said they should provide them wash room and drinking water facilities too. D'Souza had visited the passport seva Kendra recently after receiving several complaints from public. He said the seva Kendra was giving only 350 appointments per day, including 50 for senior citizens since the staff strength was just half of what is sanctioned. D'Souza observed that while the sanctioned strength of external affairs ministry personnel for scrutiny was nine, the seva Kendra had only four and this was the reason for slow processing of applications and sanctioning. He said he will meet the officials at the Regional Passport Office, Bangalore on August 12 and press them to see that enough staff was posted here and at least 1,000 appointments were given daily. He said: Within a week the seva Kendra officials assured that the first floor would be opened and applicants can use the space. They will also provide wash room, drinking water and canteen facility,' he added. D'Souza said as per the information given by the Home Minister's office, 38,878 passport were verified from 2011 to June 2014 and 458 were rejected by police. These statistics are from Bantwal, urban, rural, Vittal, Belthangady, Punjalkatte, Venur, Puttur, urban and rural, Uppinangady, Kadaba, Sullia and Subrahmanya police station limits. In Mangalore Commissionerate limits, 410 passport applications were pending verification and 11,828 were given verification. -TOI