PASSPORT RENEWAL EXPERIENCE - 265

       ,,,,, PASSPORT RENEWAL EXPERIENCE 



Getting the very first Passport and its renewal after every 10 th year has never been a pleasant experience thus far . 

The 4th time experience of my interaction with the Passport office earlier this week has been totally different from those of the earlier ones .

I think I would need to elaborate a bit more so that a clearer picture can be got .

Getting my First Passport in April 1990 from The Regional Passport Office at Tiruchy was sans any excitement except the wait of almost 6 months that it took for the Passport to be delivered . JABERLAL my good Coats friend at VK Puram took care of all the rest . THE HAND WRITTEN PASSPORT WAS A PRIZED POSSESSION. 

First renewal of the Passport at the  Regional Passport Office Tiruchi in March 2001 was one hell of an experience . Everything about it was all in shambles . The Building , Crowd , Brokers , Touts , Xerox and  Copying Kiosks , Typewriting Machines and everything that it had  did little justice to  a Prized Department of a Central Govt Agency . After many a hazzle with various Touts , Brokers , Xerox Operators and almost a 10 hour Razzle Dazzle with various officials , I was happy to leave the dreaded place for home . It was almost a miracle but the renewed Passport did arrive after almost 3 months 

The  Second  renewal of the Passport this time at Madurai in Sept 2010 had all the similar trappings of my experience at  Tiruchy with the additional burden of this being in the TATKAL format . We  ( this time it was for both of us ) were  fortunate  to get  the Renewed Passport within 7 days .

The third and current renewal of the Passport was Scheduled on the 9 th of Dec 2020 at the PASSPORT SEVA KENDRA AT TIRUNELVELI .This from Agasthiarpatty which by no stretch of imagination can be in the league of a Tier 1 or 2 City and at best will just pass off  as a big village on the verge of becoming a small town . The appointment was secured by using the services of a local browsing center.  The Passport Seva Kendra was extremely well maintained with all  due care taken for addressing the pandemic situation . Social Distancing while being seated , access to sanitizers , letting in only if one is suitably masked was a welcome sight and a welcome experience . The whole process of checking all the Original  Documents  was over in about an our . Police verification was also over by 10 th evening itself , just a day after submission of the Documents .  Lo and behold I have Today  received the Passport  within just 6 days of applying for the same . THAT WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE OR HAZZLE WHATSOEVER .

THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE CONGRATULATED FOR BRINGING ABOUT SUCH A HUGE CHANGE BY TAKING STEPS  TO MAKE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE HIGH PROFILE MINISTRY  OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS  AS EASY , SIMPLE AND  HAZZLE FREE FOR THE COMMON MAN .

DIGITAL INDIA WE ARE SURELY GOING                                       PLACES  





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