Pune: Student passport applicants in the city have every reason to rejoice. Regional Passport Officer Atul Gotsurve, using his discretionary powers, has cut down the penalty of failing to mention their previous/current addresses from Rs5,000 to Rs500.
Pune is the first city in the country where the penalty has been reduced for the students. According to Pune Passport Grievance Forum (PPGF), as many as 5,000 outstation students are likely to benefit from the move.
The advisory issued by the passport department clearly states that students studying away from their parents' residence should mention their current address while applying. For proof of residence at your hostel/place of stay, either they should provide a letter from the principal/warden or proof of residence of the guardian with whom they are staying and the guardianship affidavit.
The students should also provide proof of their parents' address (permanent address). During the past one year, if the student stayed at more than one address, then it is mandatory for him to mention all the addresses. Failure to mention the previous/current addresses will lead to a penalty up to Rs5,000.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Gotsurve said that he brought down the fine on grounds that it was irrational for the students to pay such a large sum
of money for a minor mistake. "Majority of the outstation students forget to write down the details of all the addresses they had stayed in and invite a heavy penalty. We have already written to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking reduction of the penalty and it has been agreed in principle by the government and a final order will be issued at the earliest," he said.
PPGF convenor Vinita Deshmukh said that the decision to reduce the penalty amount from Rs5,000 to Rs500 has brought relief to outstation students who don't have enough money. "Students tend to make mistakes and forget to write details of their past addresses in the passport form and this complicates the problem," she said.
Passport mela
The Regional Passport Office has organised a passport mela at Passport Seva Kendra in Mundhwa on July 26 for the benefit of applicants from Pune, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur. The mela will be for Tatkaal applicants (200 appointments) and normal applicants (600 appointments). Walk-in and Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) applications will not be entertained.
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