'7,000 applications pending'
M’lore passport centre needs attention, says KPCC Secretary
Coming down heavily on the officials for not being able to provide better facilities at Mangalore Passport office, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary Ivan D’Souza warned the government of staging protest along with the citizens, if the problems existing in the centre are not tackled immediately.
Addressing a news conference on Thursday, he said that the people are facing problems despite the passport office being upgraded and most of the problems have cropped up due to negligence of the officials.
Elaborating on the same, D’Souza said that the centre does not have proper seating facilities. They are hence forced to stand in queue in scorching heat. Parking, toilet facilities and drinking water are not there. Though a section of services have been outsourced the centre is not functioning efficiently, he said.
7,000 pending
D’Souza informed that as many as 7,000 applications are pending in Mangalore Passport centre. He said that there is a need to clear off these applications at the earliest. “Centre has the plan of opening more passport seva kendras. I have hence made a representation to Minister for Foreign Affairs S M Krishna to open a centre in Udupi, which is fast developing like Mangalore,” said D’Souza.
Vacancies
D’Souza said that though there are four sanctioned posts in Mangalore Passport Centre, only one officer has been appointed. There are five sanctioned posts for verifying documents but at present there are only three doing the job. He said that Government should appoint required manpower to the centre at the earliest. He said that the Minister has also been asked to open Tatkal passport centre in Mangalore and the officials concerned have been directed by the Minister to do the needful in this regard.
