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Jaipur: Applicants being forced to buy passport covers at Seva Kendra

As soon as their credentials are verified by the passport officials, the consultancy agency employees jump in and pester the applicants to buy the passport covers.

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People who have applied for passport at the Seva Kendra situated at Ajmer Road are being forced to buy passport cover by a private service provider agency, which was commissioned for digital internal operations through Union Ministry of External Affairs. This is troubling many applicants who have to shell out Rs 450 without any consent. To appear for appointment in order to get clearance for verification of documents the applicants visit the Seva Kenda located in Orbit Mall. As soon as their credentials are verified by the passport officials, the consultancy agency employees jump in and pester the applicants to buy the passport covers. Despite it is not mandatory the applicants are forced to purchase the cover.

“I went there on Wednesday and when I was coming out after verification the employee forced me to purchase the cover. I had to pay Rs 450 for the cover which I had not wished for. They claimed that the cover with passport will be dispatched to my address,” said an applicant who wishes not to be named.

He is not the only victim of ‘forced’ purchasing but several applicants coming to the Kendra have to undergo this ‘pressure’. Many of them complained to the passport authority against this ‘forced’ transaction, but in vain.

Sources in the passport center informed that taking note of complaints against this forced transaction, the authority has already issued an advisory to the consultancy agency asking them to place a placard at the window of the cabin mentioning that ‘buying passport cover is not mandatory, but optional’. Albeit, they did not pay heed to the advice till date.

“This is a wrong practice, taking note of which we have issued instructions to place a notice. But the agency did not follow the instructions and the applicants are being forced,” said an official posted at the Seva Kendra.

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