Non Receipt of Passport

[Vasudev]

Hi,

I had applied for passports for my wife and son in September 2006 at Coimbatore, but I have not received the passports till now. The 'on line' status check also has not yielded any results.

Kindly advise me as to how the RTI Act could be used to track the status of the applications. The Regional Passport Office is at Chennai.

Thanks,

Vasudev

[karira]

Hi Vasudev,

Please give a application under the RTI Act to the PIO located at the RPO, Chennai with a Rs. 10/- application Fee. If they accept cash, well and good. If not, please give them a Bankers Cheque (to be drawn in favour of _____________name will be given by PIO).

In you application ask for the following information:

1. On what date has the RPO received applications for passport for and under your receipt numbers.
2. The chronological sequence of events and actions taken by the officers and staff of the RPO in processing the above applications along with all the documentary evidences, in the following format (separately for each application):-
   • Name and Designation of the concerned staff or officer of the RPO, Chennai
   • Date of receipt of the applications by concerned staff or officer of RPO Chennai
   • Action taken OR procedure followed by the concerned staff or officer with respect to each application.
   • Date of disposal of the matter by the concerned staff member or officer of RPO
   • Date on which the application was sent for further procedures to other sections, departments or higher officials of the RPO.
3. The exact status of our above mentioned applications at present, where are the applications currently pending, with which staff member or officer are they pending, the reason for which they are currently pending and the date since when they are pending with the said staff member or officer of the RPO.
4. The reason or reasons for the applications not being disposed off in spite of over _____ months having passed since we submitted our application for passport
5. Is there any benchmark time limit set by the RPO or any other Passport Issuing authority for issuing passports, either in its Citizens Charter or any other internal documents.
6. If, yes, a copy of the Citizens Charter or the internal document may kindly be supplied.
7. On an average, during the calendar year 2006, what was the average time taken for issuing a passport from RPO, Chennai. Time to be calculated from the time application was received by the RPO, Chennai till the time the passport was either collected by the applicant or dispatched by Speed Post to the applicant.
8. Has the RPO or any of his officers or staff taken any corrective measures or made any efforts to reduce delays in issuing of passports.
9. If yes, please provide documentary evidence of such steps taken or any efforts made.

Thanking You

====
Hope this helps. I drafted this for someone who had similar problems with RPO Hyderabad and he got his passport after a week of submitting application under RTI.

[kushal]

Thank you for the very nice framed application. I had featured this thread.
I have reservation to only one point:

The reason or reasons for the applications not being disposed off in spite of over _____ months having passed since we submitted our application for passport

As reason for asking is not covered under RTI Act.

[karira]

Originally Posted by kushal

Thank you for the very nice framed application. I had featured this thread.
I have reservation to only one point:



As reason for asking is not covered under RTI Act.

Kushal,
Tks for pointing out.
Instead of the above, can I suggest:
What are the concrete grounds due to which the processing of these applications have been overdelayed and the respective passports not issued, inspite of over.....months having passed.

[kushal]

Point number 3 will server equally or better purpose.

[maneesh]

Good work Karira and Kushal,

Kushal the essence of this thread can be included in sample RTI application for passport delays.

[kushal]

That is true. I am actually thinking in line of having a sample RTI application for Passport specific issues. I find many cases and members asking for the same.

[karira]

Vasudev,

Pls have a look at the attachment of the decision
It will give you courage !

[kushal]

Thank You for sharing this decision. However, as a permanent record, I am attaching the decision here.

[Vasudev]

Karira,

Thanks for the reply and sorry for the delay in responding.

I shall follow your advice and keep you posted on the progress of the case.

Thanks once again,

Vasudev

[karira]

You are welcome Vasudev.
Please post your outcome here so that others
are also encouraged to use the RTI Act.

[Vasudev]

Dear Karira,

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I shall post the outcome as soon as possible so that others too get the confidence to use the RTI Act.

Regards,

Vasudev

[Vasudev]

Dear Karira,

As advised by you, I had submitted the application to the PIO at the RPO, Chennai. Yeaterday, after about 4 weeks of submitting the application, I received the passports by mail.

I think that the RTI Application worked and I would like to thank you for the advice and the Application Format.

Thanks once again

Vasudev

[karira]

Congrats !
Now that you have personal experience in successfully using RTI Act, please encourage others to use the act too.

[Vasudev]

I will and thanks again

[mpai]

Originally Posted by Vasudev

Dear Karira,

As advised by you, I had submitted the application to the PIO at the RPO, Chennai. Yeaterday, after about 4 weeks of submitting the application, I received the passports by mail.

Vasudev

I believe in a few days it would be 30 days since you filed your RTI Application. I hope you have not withdrawn it. Even though you have received the passport, there would be many like you, who still have not received their passports. They also might not be as brave.

Please make sure that you get the information on the RTI Application you had field with the PIO of the RPO, Chennai. After you get the reply see if you can do something with the information received to make it easier for other folks get their Passports faster.

Keep us informed.

Manoj

[karira]

---

New members,

Passport status can be known at:

Indian Passport, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India

For list of PIO's in different passport offices in India and the CPO in New Delhi, please visit:

RTI

For those Indians staying abroad, your local Indian Embassy is also covered under the RTI Act 2005. Please contact them for information regarding Pio and Fees, etc.. US residents, please see:

For Indian citizens in the USA....How to use RTI ?

[mgopik]

I am submitting the application using the template you have given to mr vasudev above. I am submitting it at RPO Hyderabad (given that there is no way to do it by email/post)

Can you please tell me the "name of the person/organization" favoring whom I have to take a draft of 10 rupees to submit the application. Is 10 rupees sufficient or should I take for a larger amount for getting all the details (I hear that I have to pay 2/- per page of information but I am not sure)

Also, does anybody know the timings when the PIO will be available at RPO hyderabad?

[karira]

mgopik,

First check your passport status at:

Indian Passport, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India

A list of PIO's at various RPO's is available at:

RTI

Just check with them as to whose name you have to send the D/D or Bankers Cheque for the Hyderabad PIO.

Rs. 10/- is sufficient for the first application under RTI. In case the PIO wants to charge you an additional amount for copies, etc..., he will inform you and give a reasoned order also. Then you can pay the additional amount.
However, if your draft is as above, there will be no need for additional amount.

The PIO at RPO Hyderabad will be available during normal office timings.