KCR hits out at passport officials

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, demanded that the Central government order an inquiry into alleged mismanagement and rampant corruption in the Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad and take remedial measures immediately.

He sought a separate RPO at Karimnagar to cater to the northern Telangana districts.

In a letter to the Union minister for external affairs, Mr S.M. Krishna, he alleged that only influential people managed to get their passport in a day while the common man had to struggle all night, sleep on the footpath for a token and wait for days to get a passport.

“There appears to be a namesake public relations officer and he is totally out of touch with the public and their grievances. The helpline numbers never function and there is no response to complaints sent through emails. Brokers rule the roost and charge Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for services,” he alleged.

“The RPO officials are ill-mannered. Applicants complain that RPO officials are rude,” he added.

“Despite so much of technological progress, it is astounding to note the pathetic state of affairs at the RPO. I request you to appoint a senior and experienced administrator to probe the mismanagement of RPO, Hyderabad, and also initiate necessary process of reengineering,” he said. The TRS chief said that though the RPO in Hyderabad is considered the second largest passport office in the country after Mumbai, the state of affairs in this office is unprofessional and irresponsible, giving sleepless nights to passport applicants.