Hello friends, this another passport woe

**sajeev** · #1 04-27-2008, 10:47 PM

Hi there
I was looking for some information on "Right to Emergency Care" on google and stumbles upon this site. I just browsed through, and boy! am I happy! I saw the posting titled "Passport Woes" by Puja Iyengar and the replies by Karira and others. I am so happy because I was wondering about using RTI for my own passport.
I am in Kolkata for the last fourteen years, but born and studied till my graduation in Kerala where my parents still live. I have stayed in many places in Kolkata and am now at my present address for the last two years. I applied for a passport in November last year. I followed it through and went to the police station for the verification. I think the officer was hinting at some bribe which I did not pay. Anyway after the verification the papers were sent back to the regional passport office and I was given a despatch number from DIB.
Then on the website (indianpassport.nic.in), they asked me to apply with PP forms with birth of place address. The agent through which I applied told me that this was because I did not pay the bribe and now it has to go to Kerala and come back. Anyway I submitted the PP form again with the required details by the end of January.
From that time there is no change in the status on the website. I filed two grievances using the facility offered at the website, but no news from the rpo. In the second grievance I even mentioned that I may use RTI, but still absolutely no response from them. The last grievance filed was a month ago.
I think I will file an RTI. What do you think about it Karira and other helpful people here?
With warm regards, Sajeev.

**karira** · #2 04-28-2008, 12:23 AM

sajeev,

Welcome to the forum !

Since this is a section meant for New Member Introduction only, please wait till one of the "moderators" or "community builders" shifts it to the proper section "Ask for a RTI Query".

Once that is done, members will definitely help you with your individual problem.

In the meantime, may I request you to please browse through some of the threads on the subject of passports:

http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/search/searchid-25073/

**ganpat1956** · #3 05-01-2008, 05:37 PM

Shifted to "Ask for RTI Query"

**mohitgarg** · #4 05-01-2008, 07:32 PM

You may also use this to find the Passport tag:
RTI India - Threads Tagged with passport

**jps50** · #5 05-01-2008, 08:01 PM

Pl go ahead with RTI application with passport office, Kolkatta. This will expedite the matter.

**sajeev** · #6 05-03-2008, 05:34 AM

Thank you all. I am so overwhelmed to see so many helpful souls. I have gone through the threats suggested by you and got some idea now. I am going ahead with the application. I have a couple of doubts more. If I want to ask for the information personally, how will they let me know when it is ready? Is it better to ask them to send it by registered post? In that case when should I pay for the cost?
I have prepared an application. It is broadly based on Karira's reply to somebody. But it looks like there are many unnecessary questions. Please go through this and see if anything to be added and anything removed.
I am attaching it since I could not copy and paste it on to this message (too many images it seems!)
Thanks for your support so far. Hope to find more of it. This is surely a great site. I am happy I found it.
Sajeev.

**karira** · #7 05-04-2008, 08:18 PM

sajeev,

That's a good RTI application.
Just made 2 changes:
- Don't address the application by name since officer might get transferred
- Details of your IPO payment

Just make the RTI application and submit it in person or through Registered Post AD. It is the RPO's responsibility to get the reply to you - by any means available to him.

**sajeev** · #8 05-08-2008, 05:42 AM

Hello friends

At last I managed to submit a petition under RTI. I should say, with much difficulty. The man at the Information counter at Kolkata Passport Office gave me a big lecture on RTI and why I should not apply when I merely asked him where to submit it. He even threatened me that if I went ahead, I would have to answer many questions and so on. He was not the least helpful. He told me I would have to find my own way in that office.

Anyway, after that I met another officer who was monitoring visitors to the offices inside. I managed to convince him that this was absolutely essential and so he took it to another officer and after that asked me to go and meet him. This officer (Mr M L Mukherjee, but I don't know his designation) explained to me that the delay was not their fault. My application has gone for verification from my birthplace (in Kerala) on Feb 18 and the report has not come. So he told me that there was no point in filing RTI at this office, I should do it to the police in Kerala. I told him that to do that I would need some documentary evidence from the passport office and so the RTI was still valid. At last he accepted the petition and signed a copy of it and gave me.
Now I don't know if I should file another complaint under RTI to the police in Kerala. If yes, to whom and where? Don't the people at the passport office here have some responsibility to make sure that the verification is not delayed too much? Now it looks like this is going to take a lot longer than I expected.

Regards, Sajeev.

**karira** · #9 05-08-2008, 07:04 AM

sajeev,

It is a basic "attitude" problem. Most officers will feel that a RTI Application is either to "expose corruption" or to "expose lethargic working".

I am surprised that you had to go through such a effort to file a RTI Application. Probably reflects the general attitude by Government Servants in Kolkata. There have been many complaints, not only about Public Authorities in West Bengal, but also about the working of the State Information Commission.

Based on your further clarifications, if you have someone staying at the place in Kerala (the address where your PP form has been sent) you can file a RTI Application to the Assistant Commissioner of Police under which the Police Station falls. OR, you can wait for 30 days to get the RPO Kolkata reply and then file a RTI Application.

**opsharma** · #10 05-08-2008, 11:05 AM

can we have a standard benchmark questionaire on passport issues based on Karira's superb guidance posts earlier and Sanjeev's modification above.
Thanks.

**sajeev** · #11 05-09-2008, 02:18 PM

Thanks Karira, Instead of waiting for another 30 days for the passport officers to act I think I will go ahead with an RTI application to the police in Kerala. My birthplace is in Ernakulam district. Should I address my application to the Asst. Commissioner of that district?
Can I send the application by registered post or courier? Though my parents are living there, they are pretty old, and I don't want them to go through the ordeal of going through the police station, especially if they have to face problems like I had to face in the passport office in Kolkata. So if posting is enough I shall do that. Will that be equally efficient?
With warm regards, Sajeev.

**jps50** · #12 05-09-2008, 07:44 PM

In Kolkatta also, you should have sent RTI application by speed post AD addressed to PIO, Passport office with IPO of Rs10/-. For Kerala, you can file application by post addressed to PIO of Dist. Superientendent of Police, ERNAKULAM. Pl. visit Kerala govt website to get format if prescribed and amount and mode of payment of filing fee. If no format is prescribed, you can use format you used for Passport office. Passport office falls under central govt. while police dept falls under state and hence state format, amount and mode of payment will have to be followed. My experience shows that applications sent by speed/regd. post Ad are well taken care of and applicant saves time, humiliation, and travelling cost etc.

**sajeev** · #13 05-09-2008, 09:32 PM

Thanks jps, that is a lot of useful information. I shall follow your advice.
Sajeev.

**sajeev** · #14 05-09-2008, 10:35 PM

I checked the website of Kerala government. Though they have a lot of information on RTI, no format is given for the application. The fee is the same (RS 10 plus Rs 2 for each page of the information). It has to be paid by 'TR5'. Any idea what this TR5 means?
There is no clear information about who the PIO for the home/police department. For the lower levels (local police station onwards), it is the CI. I think I will proceed as you suggested. What is TR5? Will IPO be enough?
Sajeev.

**colnrkurup** · #15 05-10-2008, 06:43 PM

Dear Sajeev,
TR5 is remittance by cash directly to the office. This won't suit you. You can get the RTI Rules on Kerala in the site "sic.infokerala. Money can be remitted by various menas here; but nothing will suit you other than "By demand draft/banker's cheque /pay order payable to the SPIO.There is a Form No.3 given therein; but it isnot essential solong as your application contain all the informations like your address etc etc. You may address the application to the " State Public Information Officer, The Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam as suggested by Mr.Karira.. In case you need any other information on this kindly contact me.

**sajeev** · #16 05-11-2008, 04:11 AM

Thanks Colonel. But I could not access the webpage you suggested (nic.infokerala). Could you give the complete web address of the site? If there is a format for applying, it will surely be helpful. Thanks once again.
Sajeev.

**colnrkurup** · #17 05-11-2008, 10:22 AM

It was not 'nic' but 'sic'. Any way it is " sic - Home "

**colnrkurup** · #18 05-11-2008, 10:30 AM

Sorry Sajeev. It is not possible to sent the address through forum posting. I had tried; but it does not go correctly. I had sent it to you by a private message. Hope you got it correctly.Please confirm that you got access

**sajeev** · #19 05-11-2008, 11:07 AM

Thanks very much Colonel. I accessed the web and it gives a lot of information. I shall proceed with the application. I shall keep you informed of the progress.
Thanks once again.
Sajeev.

Here I have prepared an application under RTI to Kerala Police. It is adapted from my earlier application to RPO. I am attaching it as a Word document. Please go through and see if it is OK.
Thanks for all the help and direction.
Sajeev.

**colnrkurup** · #20 05-11-2008, 12:38 PM

It will be better if you can get the despatch details or Registration particulars under which your case was sent to Kerala by the Calcutta Pass port authorities.. In case you have those particulars, you may include that also. In case you don't have it, be prepared to reply any querry on those lines from SP, Ernakulam.