• I Paid A Bribe
• 14 years ago
• 720 views

The Unending Wait for a Passport Renewal

• Passport
• Renewal of Passport
• Paid INR 500

“The other day, while I was perusing a newspaper snippet that claimed proudly that the entire process for receiving/renewing one’s passport would now become more transparent and hassle free with the entire process moving online, I heaved a sigh of relief. This would probably be the best time to get my passport renewed. I filled up the available forms online and was so relieved to experience the smooth and effortless process. However, I was in for a rude shock. The renewed Passport was supposed to be delivered at my home within a fortnight. It was almost twenty days since I had completed the application, but there was no sign of my Passport, neither any update on the website. I expected some sort of communication from the Passport authorities regarding this delay; however it was probably too much to ask for.
Disgruntled by this sham, I immediately landed at the Passport office at Bhikaji cama Place in Delhi. Waiting in the long queue in the searing heat of Delhi to reach the counter after two hours, only to find that the personnel was absolutely clueless about my online application ,was frustrating to say the least. It was hard to believe that I had lost over a month for absolutely no fault of mine, and that the authorities had absolutely no concern for this traumatic experience. They were busy managing the sea of humanity at the counter, and the only piece of advice that they had to offer was to fill a new online application all over again!
With no other choice left, I decided to go back and try my luck, when a tout came by my way and asked sympathetically what the problem was. I had heard a lot about the local touts near the Passport office, and how they can miraculously drag you out from this conundrum, but had never thought that I would have to hire their services-especially with the process becoming online and more transparent. The tout, after listening to the entire episode, told me that this was a routine affair. In fact, there have been people who had filled online applications as many as five times, but are yet to receive their Passports. I realised the only way of bypassing this bureaucracy and apathy was to unfortunately bribe this tout and get my Passport on time. I knew this was not the best thing to do, but I wanted my Passport urgently and had no time and energy for any further delays. I handed over a note of 500 to the tout, who immediately snapped it from my hand and rushed inside the Passport office leaving me alone and stranded. One hour later, Lo and Behold, I saw him coming towards me, with a glint in his eyes and a shining blue Passport cupped in his hands. I could not believe my eyes when my renewed Passport was placed safely in my hands, when just a few hours earlier there was no sign of its existence!
The joy of receiving my Passport and the resentment of paying bribe to the officials left me with mixed emotions. This system of corruption is a vicious circle which is seemingly impossible to break; we probably have to just learn to live with it…..
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