Passport procurement costs State Rs 7 crore annually
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 05, 2013: In the absence of a passport office in the State, many Ministers and MLAs of the State are literally standing in queue in front of the regional passport office, Guwahati in their bid to obtain passports.

It is estimated that people of Manipur spend around Rs 7 crore in a year in the process of obtaining passports.

These facts were established during an independent survey conducted by The Sangai Express recently in view of the increasing number of students, professionals, businessmen and officers going to foreign countries for different purposes.

The process of obtaining passports from any passport offices functioning under the Ministry of External Affairs now requires impromptu clipping of photographs and collection of biometrics data.

As such, many MLAs of the State including one prominent Minister have been literally standing in queue in front of the Regional Passport Office, Guwahati.

The Indian Passport

Around 250 to 300 people from the State apply for passports at the Guwahati office every month on the average and it was confirmed from data collected from the CID Special Branch.

Taking into account the travel fare, passport fee, middle men's fee, accommodation fee etc, an individual belonging to the State have to spend around Rs 20,000 in the process of obtaining a passport.

If 300 people from the State go to Guwahati for obtaining passports, they have to spend Rs 60,00000.This amount would accumulate to Rs 7.2 crore if calculated on yearly basis.

This annual expenditure on passports is enough to construct a bridge of medium size, remarked one official of Planning Department.

Meanwhile, one officer of the State Home Department said that the State Government has been working since 2010 to open a mini passport office in the State which would be headed by an Assistant Passport Officer.

The Government has already identified the site for opening the passport office and the Guwahati based Regional Passport Officer has personally inspected the site two/three times.

However, the proposed mini passport officer is still awaiting approval of the External Affairs Ministry.

As told by the Regional Passport Officer, the Government has initiated due measures to train two MPS officers on deputation to fill up the manpower requirement of the proposed mini passport office.