Illegal passport agents continue to flourish neither MEA nor TCS take note

How can illegal passport touts audaciously call themselves “online passport agents” and advertise brazenly on the Internet?

If you go to the passport website of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and click on this link: http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/Public_Notice.pdf, you will see the public notice which reads: “Members of the public are advised to desist from dealing with touts / agents who may be charging exorbitantly for their service and further, may be making false promises about arranging assured urgent appointment or faster passport service delivery. After the launch of Passport Seva Kendras, the appointments are available to general public through the website. Alternatively, certain categories of applicants are allowed to walk in without appointment, details of which are available on the website.

“The Government has not authorised any intermediary/ representative to undertake such activity or to give such assurances. Such incidents of harassment/ influence by them may be reported to the concerned Passport Officer.”

If the public notice is in such uncertain terms, why is it that the website www.justdial.com is filled with contacts of “online passport agents” from various cities like Delhi, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and you can just go on and on. Why is it that the harassment of not getting online appointments by citizens across cities, due to an obvious nexus between passport agents and passport officials, which helps agents to probably ‘block’ appointments and deny it to the rightful applicant. Is not being tackled?

For further proof, some of the passport agents of Pune met Prakash Javadekar, Pune’s Rajya Sabha MP, who has taken up the issue for Pune, with the ministry of external affairs (MEA). They confessed that each one of them has access to a keyword/ codeword which helps them block two appointments per agent. Obviously, the number of passport agents seems to be large enough to ensure that individuals do not get their rightful chance. That the passport agent fraternity is having the alleged backing of the powers-that-be can be established by the fact that they continue to go about their business in brazen ways.

Moneylife which has been carrying a sustained campaign against the Pune passport mess had a comment on 3^rd April (in the reader’s comment slot under an article), by a passport agent openly advertising that he charges Rs500 “for booking online slot in any of the PSK (Passport Seva Kendra)”.

Naresh Kevalramani, one of the readers of Moneylife wrote to JustDial on 22^nd March, “It is very sad that when the Government of India has banned all agents/ middlemen for passport applications/ processing, your website is showing passport agents by the dozen.

I think that your portal—JUSTDIAL—which is one of the leading service providers in India is doing an ILLEGAL ACT by promoting PASSPORT AGENTS whom the GOVT OF INDIA itself has banned.

I have marked a copy of this mail to Ms Deshmukh who is heading Pune Passport Grievance Forum (PPGF).”

Anita Singh, customer service officer of JustDial replied:

“Thanks for writing to just-dial.com .

With respect to your below mail we appreciate your concern and for bringing it to the notice of just-dial.com. We shall look into the matter and do the needful. For any further queries, kindly contact customer service on 02261607080.
                        
You can also mail us on - mumbai@justdial.com.

Thanks and regards
Anita (CS) “

Well, sadly, JustDial’s reply seems to be a standard one for every such complaint, as no action has been taken as yet. Advertisements of “online passport agents” merrily flourish.