Five Days @ Passport Office

---Contributed by Neha Bhatia

The scene of the office of our worldwide identity proof is unbelievable and hard to imagine for anyone who has never been to any government body and has got the work done. I had to go to get the “additional” booklet and I was made to run from pillar to post for 5 days which ideally, is the time you get your fresh passport under tatkal scheme.

With very little knowledge of timings I went on the first day at 3pm. As soon as I entered I saw more than 100 people (some in queue and some fighting claiming to be in the queue). The scene was nothing less than a vegetable market. There were around 15 counters all having a board “This counter is not for general information”. All counters just had one thing written on a blue board “tatkal/ general”

With this I asked around 5 to 6 counters about “where can I get additional booklet” and the responses were counter 6 hall 1, counter 4 hall 2 and many more except the exact information. With hardly any hope to get any answer from inside the passport office, I went to the watchman and asked him the procedure. He said “madam kal line mein lagna subah 9:30 baje, token lena aur fir andar aana”. I asked “ye line kaha hoti hai, kaun se counter par” and that person responded “counter nahi madam, wo toh building ke peeche ek line lagti hai”.

Second day the line for token starts at 9:30 am I reached at 8 am and found atleast 30 people standing in front of me. And by 9:30 am there were around 150 people behind me. Some made their touts stand so that work gets finished faster and paying Rs. 6500 than paying regular Rs. 2500. So I asked someone in front me in the line why there are more than 2 people at the same position so the person said “ye India hai sab jugad hota hai”. I got the token at 10 am and then the passport authority refused to accept the token because I was not getting passport for myself which was violating the rule in tatkal scheme even if I had authority letter. So all my energy, time of standing in the line since 8 to 11 am got wasted or I must say, I had an experience of nothing…

Third day reached around 7am in order to get the work done and still saw 5 people ahead of me. And I thought people are crazy but they were like me who were fed up of the system and just wanted to get the work done as soon as possible. I got the token and I went inside. We (the passport holder and I) got the work done in 15 minutes paid the tatkal fees Rs. 3000, got the date of receiving the passport and left the place. But during this time we also found something strange inside the passport office. They were like “shoes on the table of one of the employees”, “passports and files lying idle” like if they get lost then it is not at all their responsibility because they would say “madam apki file incomplete thi”.

Fourth and fifth day were again just to receive the passport as on the fourth day, not all the passport could be made and we required additional passport of jumbo size. So fifth day again we stood at the gate at 10 am, received the passport (after requesting senior official to give on time because we had a meeting to attend at the office). At the same time I just said “Hope I never come back here”.

But later I realized should I have said that or I just wanted things here to be sorted? Actually I wanted privatization of the passport office so that no common madams (as they called) or anyone would have the same experience as I had there.

But before I end, everyone reading this blog please read below in case you have to get new passport or change of information or additional booklet.

1. Download the form from the website http://passport.gov.in/ for your requirements.
2. Fill and attach supporting documents
3. Go to the passport office next day morning around 7:30 am to get the token.
4. After taking the token, go to the counter mentioned on the token.
5. Specify your need and they would send you to the actual counter
6. Get your forms checked and submit to the official.
7. Pay Rs. 1000 for fresh passport in general scheme which would take 1 month or pay Rs. 1500 for fresh passport in tatkal scheme which would take less than 10 days. Incase of additional booklet charges are extra which is mentioned at the counter.
8. Get the receipt after payment which mentions date of collection.
9. For collection of passports timing is between 5 – 6 pm everyday behind the passport office building at the same place where you collected your token. In other cases sometime they tell you to go to the counters also.
10. Last but not the least “DO NO PAY THE TOUTS”. This can be one experience and also you would save Rs. 4000 by doing your work yourself.

Stepping Again in the Professional World

As we are in the era of globalization it is important to be target and goal oriented, focused, have a creative mind set to bring about turnaround for one’s respective organization and also for one’s own professional growth.

All the efficiencies and endeavors we possess should guide us to evolve our competencies.

The goals we must set for ourselves should necessarily be rationale: they should be within the parameters of our competence, capabilities and abilities. A goal without an emotional quotient becomes a task and a task is always heavy.

All this is in context to what I have learnt today in my new organization MILAGROW.

It has been a very important day for me today as I have made a comeback in the world of professionalism and Milagrow has provided me with a comeback platform for which I am highly thankful to the epitome of this prestigious organization, Mr. Rajeev Karwal.

In a span of six hours I have learn’t so much. The team here is a bundle of zeal and passion and most importantly they possesses a sense of ownership in whatever they do.

It is an honor and pleasure to be a part of this enriching team

“There are always new opportunities, either you or your competitor will find it”. This is what we all need to keep in mind.