Passport Seva Kendras up the ante as touts dupe applicants

Thiruvananthapuram: The regional passport office here will strengthen the passport-related service being offered by Akshaya centres to counter the tout menace at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs). As a prelude to this, a training session on passport services was conducted for Akshaya Kendras in the district at the PSK at Vazhuthacaud on Saturday.  Efforts are being made to set up an Akshaya centre  help desk at PSKs. DC had earlier brought to light the difficulties faced by the public at the PSKs and  the fleecing  of  applicants  by the touts.

While the touts even mislead the passport applicants and charge  up to Rs 500 for basic services, the Akshaya centres are offering these services at a rate of about Rs 100. There were even allegations that the touts  had the blessings of major political parties and that even some  party activists were working as touts. “Many persons  who make online booking through Akshaya centres are even trapped by the touts once they reach the PSKs by providing misleading information and charge undue service charges.  Even well-educated people are falling to this trap,” said  regional passport officer Ashique Karattil.

The representatives from over 100 Akshaya centres attended the training programme. Similar sessions would be conducted at other PSKs under the Thiruvananthapuram regional passport office, he said.      Talks would be initiated with Akshaya director on the possibility of opening an Aksahya centre or a help desk at the PSK, he added. On the lack of seating facilities for applicants at the PSKs, the passport officer said that though seats were earlier provided, it led to overcrowding near the entrance of PSKs as applicants used to arrive much ahead of the time allotted to them.