Its touts, not hi-tech centres, for passport

Its touts, not hi-tech centres, for passport
By C S Hemanth,DH News Service,Bangalore:

Introduction of online registration, BangaloreOne Centres, simplified passport submission procedures seems to have had no effect as ‘illegal’ business continues to thrive.
The newly constructed swanky Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Koramanagla is no different from the earlier one on Brunton Road where touts operated from outside the passport office in the pretext of helping passport applicants get their work done before 45 days, the time taken to dispatch the passport to the applicant.
When this reporter visited the passport office on June 12, the touts were the first ones to approach, promising to get passport quickly.
The dozen odd touts who approached the reporter at the new RPO had one thing in common - they seemed to be carrying on with this legacy of facilitating passport applicants as they lure hundreds of applicants every day with a promise that their passports will be dispatched in the shortest possible time.
Chinan, a tout, promised that if it takes 45 days to issue a fresh passport of 10-year validity by paying Rs 1000, the same can be issued within 20 days by approaching them, thanks to their nexus with the police who eventually will have to give a Police Clearance Certificate.
“Once the passport applications and other certificates are submitted at the passport office, after all clerical work it is sent to the city police commissioners office and later to the local police station for address verification. In all it takes around 30 to 45 days to dispatch the passport. We can get it done in a two-week time for which the applicant will have to pay an additional Rs 1000,” says Chinan. Not convinced with Chinan's promises, the reporter approaches another ‘senior’ tout Shaibuddin.
Planning to go abroad? Want passport in urgently?,“ asks Shaibuddin. After a positive nod he gestures to follow him outside the RPO premises, and because of his influence at the City Police Commissioners Office the necessary clearances are speeded up.
“ The application forms of our customers get special preference, the writers at the Commissioners office push these applications which are earmarked to be cleared first,” says Shaibuddin.
The nexus does not end there, the touts then give contact numbers of the local police who they claim will call the applicant after receiving the application form and ask him to come over to the police station to complete the other formalities which includes payment of a few bucks.
“The usual practice is that a constable will pay a visit to the applicant’s residence for address verification during which his presence is necessary. But, here you can report to the police whenever you desire and there is no address verification of any sort. By paying about Rs 300 the whole procedure is cleared, “ says another tout.