(
Actually not a sweet memory :|)
16-Feb-10 an unforgettable day in my life... this day is special for me because yesterday was my last day in my company and I had 10 days to join my new company. For the 1st time in last 3.5 years I am with out a job :) and wanted to enjoy freedom from IT for these 10 days. But I had lot of things to complete before I join the new company.
I didn't have and ECNR stamping on my passport so I wanted to get the ECNR stamping as I was free. So, I browsed in internet and found the form (Form-2) and list of required documents to submit for ECNR stamping.
Below are the things I found from internet:
1. Valid Original Passport
2. 2 copies of 1st and last 4 pages of passport (if any entries are already made, get those copies too)
3. 2 copies of last degree certificate (now even 10th class certificate is also accepted) - I even got them attested by a gazetted officer
4. Address proof (Ration card is not accepted) (
I don't understand why an ID provided by a Govt. organization is not accepted) - You can take bank statement (even private bank statement is accepted - waaah!!!)
5. Last but not least - Filled "Form-2"
I made all arrangements even 1 week before and was waiting for the day I will be free... All kinds of requests (except application for new passport) are accepted only in Regional Passport Office - Secunderabad (near clock tower) for the whole state. So, people from all over the state keep rushing to the city for even silly change to be made in their passport.
My friend Kalpesh advised me to go to the Passport Office at around 5'o clock in the morning because even by that time there will be a huge line... But I daily wake up after 8'o clock so this advice shocked me... I never woke up before 8am when I had a job and when I don't have now I have to wake up before 5am??? disgusting... yet there is no way to escape this...
I put my alarm at 5'o clock in the morning... after 2 snoozes from my mobile I woke up in agony thinking of my fate to get up this early... As I arranged all my documents (above) in my bag on the previous day, I started at 5:45am from home. The passport office was about 18kms from my home. I reached the front gate at 6:15am...
As soon as I parked my bike, a guy came to me (his face looked like he had 10 beers last night).
He said, "Tatkal???"
"What?"
"PCC?"
I said "Get away from here..."
"I can put you in the front row, you can reach the counter in no time..."
"No, thanks... I would like to stand in the line..."
"You will not get a token today, there are already more than 150 members in the line... chinna show him the line..."
I didn't want to make any argument with that fellow, so I took my bike and parked it in the parking place (interestingly it is on the road - and some local guy wrote paid parking on the walls with a piece of chalk... people who knew that will not pay though)
I went and stood in the line... I saw my watch, it showed 6:20am... another guy came who looked like a rowdy...
"You want me to send you front?"
Just for info, I asked "How much do you charge?"
"600 rupees..."
"Thanks too much... I am not interested thanks"
"You will not get a token... see the line"
"No problem I will come tomorrow... I am free for next 10 days" and he went away asking people who followed me in the line...
I was literally counting every second which made me feel very bored... I felt like calling my friends and have a talk but it was too early and I didn't want to wake them up... There was a good business for tea/coffee walas and almost everyone was having tea/coffee. I didn't have because I don't drink it. It was pretty cold.
In the meantime I observed the people in the queue. By looking at them what I understood is
1. 1st 50 people came last night and slept on the pavement (on which we were standing)
2. next 50 people came at around 3am in the morning (I asked a guy at count 70)
3. I am somewhere around 200 and I came at 6:20am
80% of the people I saw there were going to gulf countries for labor work, they came from different parts of the state and almost all of them were standing front in the queue (they might have come last night) and they looked very weak economically. The other 20% might have come for corrections in the passport, ECNRs, new applications etc.
By the time my watch showed 9:45 I yawned some 500 times waiting for the police to open the gates. Finally they opened it at 10am and the line moved (it really moved quickly which was surprising). We went inside, it was an old building and when I entered the police told me to go to the cellar and stand in the queue. The 200 people who came before me were already there. I stood in the line. My Dad called me and asked if I had something for breakfast. I said I didn't have and my Mom started giving the regular and routine Gnan which she gives to me daily "Never skip breakfast, you should eat well then only you will be healthy blah blah blah"... I stopped listening to what she was saying and I replied "OK" for everything. "Are you really listening to what I am saying? You say yes but you don't obey"... "Amma... I am very busy right now I will call you in a while I am in the queue and I have to take a token"...
Amazingly this line also moved quickly and the regular orange colored stickers (tokens) were over by the time I reached the token counter. By Gods grace, he started writing the token number on the form by hand. Mine was "MB-93" which meant "Miscellaneous Counter - B Token#93". He told me to go up... I didn't really understand what going up means... I followed everybody and we entered a big hall in the first floor... there were around 10 counters (2 for Tatkal, 2 for Adalat, few more for something else, and 2 for Miscellaneous MA and MB counters)
By the time I went there MA was at 09 and MB was at 03. Oh damn mine is 93 [:O] 90 more to go... the chairs were already occupied and I kept roaming in the hall and kept checking the board for any updates in token numbers. There was a small shop kind of thing where you could get samosas, cool drinks, chips and biscuits. I didn't feel hungry to I didn't eat anything. Then I heard an announcement MB-04... now I started calculating the average time they took to complete a request. In 30min the count went to MB-18 the pace was progressive and I felt happy for that... according to my calculations I would get my number at around 2:30 pm.
As I said, I was well planned with everything, I got my Sony Mp3 player and started listening songs. I was in peace for some time. After sometime a lady who was standing behind me in the line earlier came to me and introduced herself. I got to know that both of us came for ECNR and her number was MB-94. She is married and the police didn't allow her husband inside for some reason I don't know, they usually allow parents and spouses.
Ladies are good and passing time by talking talking and only talking. She kept on asking me - my family details, where I stay, what I do, why I came here and all. Then she started telling me about her 11 months old kid... that was actually cute to here the deeds of a kid... I enjoyed that for sometime... In the middle I called my friends Aditya, Kalpesh, Pavan, Satish, my cousin Harsha and my parents (twice).
It was 12pm and the count was MB-44. I calculated again and felt good that my number would come at around 2pm. Meanwhile I saw a girl (about 2 years of age) holding a Lays chips packet and playing, she was very far from where I was sitting. She poured few chips on the dirtiest floor in Hyderabad. She bent and tried to pick the chips on the floor (she already had a big chip in her mouth, half of which is seen). She was unable to pick the chips on floor as the chip in her mouth was distracting her concentration. She took out the chip in her mouth and placed it on the floor. Then she picked all the chips which he poured and collected them in the packet again. Finally she took the big chip and put it in her mouth. I was hell shocked, I couldn't stop her to keep it in her mouth as I was far away from her. But, whatever she did, it looked damn cute :D
I again started counting seconds... I was very very very bored... but its ok for one day to get the job done in a Government Office. Someone was really working had in the counter MB as it was MB-89 at 1:15pm :) mine is MB-93 and I felt very happy as my work would be done by 2pm.
At MB-90, the employees in counter MB left for lunch which made me mad :( Then returned at 2pm but didn't start working until 2:15pm. Mine was the 3rd number to call, but they didn't change the number on the display board for half an hour. Everybody gathered near the counter MB (obviously no in a queue). I got a doubt and went, MB-118 was submitting her application. I felt like kicking everybody who gathered there and then the lady in the MB counter.
It was good that I went near the counter. I saw a poster saying ECNR and PCC should be put in a white cover and other forms in a brown cover.
"Where are the covers???" was my only question
After doing a detective's job I found them in another counter and then I didn't find the tag to put to it. I asked an employee and he got me a tag (he was the only person who responded quickly there)... I rearranged all the documents and put the tag to it.
I went back to MB counter and some MB-99 was submitting his form. The counter still showed MB-90 X-(
I shouted from back, "Why are you not collecting forms in order?"
Then the counter updated to MB-91 and then to MB-92 and then to MB-93 but the people who gathered over there didn't move, 2 applicants submitted their forms before I could make my way to the counter.
The lady sitting in the counter definitely had Hyperopia, she was looking into the 1960 make computer through her glasses in a way no one sees. We came at 6 in the morning, stood on road till 10 and were standing in the hall waiting for our turn and yet very patient, but, she looked irritated sitting in a centralized air conditioned room typing passport numbers and signing on the papers. I pity her.
Finally I got my turn at around 3:30pm and I submitted her
1. My original passport
2. Form-2
3. Photocopy of my passport
4. Degree certificate
5. Bank statement as address proof
I had other documents which I wanted to submit only if required.
"Where is your 10th class certificate?"
"Maam, I am graduate and I put my Degree certificate and this my original certificate"
"No, we will take only 10th class certificates"
"I have it, just a minute"
"Move a side and give way to others"
I did... and I added my 10th certificate to the other docs. I showed her my 10th original certificate too. She asked if I want my address to be changed (to present address because I had a different addresses on the passport and form-2).
I said I want only ECNR (because change of address takes more than 1.5 months and as I am moving to a different state, address verification is not possible so I said No to it).
She threw my file and passport together on a table behind her. There is another counter beside MB which is for paying application fee. I waited for another 40min for my name to be called. I paid 300/- for the application and she gave me an acknowledgement.
"When can I collect my passport?"
"We will post it to you in 10 days"
"Earlier you used to give passports to hand on the alternate day for small corrections"
"Yes, but we are posting all passports to present addresses specified on form-2"
"I am moving to a different state in next week. Is there any way to get it soon or can you make any arrangement so to that I can collect it in the office before you post it?"
"No"
Hmmm... though I was not happy with that answer, I felt good for one thing - I submitted the form at 4pm (10 hours)... It was 5pm by the time I reached home...
After seeing all this, I feel Government should start taking requests like change of address, correction in name, correction in dates, ECNRs in the local offices in every district which would help people in many ways. Why should we stand in the line at 5am in the morning to submit an application? What about the people coming from other districts?
Why should someone pay 1000/- for correction of name (stand in the line and waste one full day) when that was a mistake done by officer while issuing the passport? The more I think about all these things, the more my blood boils X-( the current system is all a big crap... huh
