MARGAO
Ahead of the opening of South Goa passport kendra on Thursday, Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco fired a salvo at the ruling government, pointing out that the Regional Passport Office at Goa has been functioning without a full-fledged passport officer for the past seven years.
That’s not all. The Congress MLA further said that the district passport kendra, which has been functioning at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex since the last several months, should handle all types of cases, including renewal of passports, corrections, besides issuance of fresh passports.
Addressing the media, the Curtorim MLA said that the absence of a full-fledged passport officer at the Goa Regional Passport Office has been hampering its efficient functioning.
“The staff manning the office have been putting their best efforts, but it’s been seven long months since it has been running without a full-fledged passport officer. This has put the people of Goa to great hardships”, he said, adding that the incumbent passport officer is holding the dual charges of Mumbai (Maharashtra circle) and Goa office.
He further pointed out that the issuance of tatkaal passport is taking a full day due to the absence of a full-fledged passport officer. Besides, the absence of a full-fledged passport officer is also impacting the day-to-day administrative decision’s to be taken on the spot.
In his letter to Union External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, Reginaldo said he has requested the union minister to sort out the issues plaguing the Goa passport office by appointing a full-fledged passport officer, preferably a Goemkar who will be better placed in redressing the passport-related grievances of locals.
Referring to the inauguration of the passport kendra in South Goa on Thursday, the Congress MLA said the kendra, which was functioning at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex for the last several months, should also be given the brief to take up issues concerning renewals and corrections.
“Why should people of South Goa spend an entire day in Panaji just for the renewal of his license or some corrections just because the district passport kendra does not entertain these issues,” he said, adding the present government should streamline the functioning of the district passport kendra if it truly believes in providing good governance to the people of Goa.
