India’s new consul general in Dubai is confident the recently rolled out passport and visa centres will provide quick and affordable services to all citizens.
Dr Vishnu Vardhan Reddy took charge on Monday and visited a passport centre in a Dubai mall before heading to the consulate office.
“What is happening in passport services is a very positive change and I hope you will see the results on the ground very soon,” Dr Reddy said at a media briefing in the consulate on Wednesday.
“There will be some teething problems when we start working with a new service provider but we really want to improve.”
The consul general spoke of the need to book appointments on the official portal and not fall prey to fraudulent third-party service providers.
Sixteen Indian Consular Application centres were launched two weeks ago across the UAE following an outsourcing of operations to Al Hind Tours and Travels.
The new centres have provided huge relief to the 4.3 million-strong Indian community in the UAE following disruption during a transition period last month. The embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai handled passport renewals directly in July owing to a legal battle in India over the tender process for the service provider.
All-inclusive charge
Simplifying the passport issuing process would remain a priority for the consulate.
Officials are working to reduce the wait time in processing and issuing of passports, particularly in the Tatkal, or immediate passport category, to within three days.
Dr Reddy is keen to spread the word to Indian citizens, particularly blue-collar workers, that instead of additional charges for various services, an overall standard fee of Dh19 now covers all services, from filling forms, taking a photograph, typing documents, domestic courier and photocopy requirements.
He said the aim was to minimise the time, money and effort of an average citizen to avoid repeated visits to the passport centres.
“Even before coming to the consulate, I visited the centre at the mall as I really wanted to see how things were working,” he said, adding that the infrastructure and facilities at the new centres would ensure speedier service. “I'm sure over a period of time all the issues related to appointments and processing time will be smoothed out.”
Dr Reddy said when he spoke to a blue-collar worker at the centre, he learnt that people were still paying Dh50 to secure appointments. The worker explained that since his passport was near expiry, he paid Dh50 to an agent for an appointment.
The consulate aims to spread awareness among all Indian citizens that there is no need to pay an additional amount for appointments.
“There are some issues we really want to change in terms of the practice of appointments as Dh19 is an all-inclusive charge of our current service provider,” Dr Reddy said. “The actual service provider is charging Dh19, so it doesn't make any sense for you to spend Dh50 just to get an appointment. We want to spread this information also through our community associations.”
Tech integration
While a large number of workers would still require the services of typing centres as they need assistance to fill in basic details, planned mobile applications would make access easier.
“Among the priorities we will be taking up is to integrate more technology into the passport services,” he said, to avoid “unnecessary expenditure, unnecessary need to go to an agent just to get an appointment”.
Applications for Tatkal, or immediate passports, and passports for newborn babies will be available on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis at all centres.
Dr Reddy said in case of family and health emergencies, citizens did not need to wait for appointments but could head to a centre as a walk-in customer. This also applies in cases of documents required for a newborn.
“In a genuine emergency of course – we have to ensure that it is not misused – but if you have a newborn, emergency certificate and Tatkal and you need to travel in the next two to three days, we can give you a walk-in to ensure you have emergency travel.”
Independence Day
As part of India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations from British colonial rule this month, a virtual global relay to hoist the Indian flag is being planned to follow the path of the rising sun.
Ceremonies will kick off on August 15 in Fiji, followed by Japan, and other missions including the embassy in Abu Dhabi, under the banner of Surya Path Tiranga or Sun’s Path Tricolour.
Dr Reddy said there would also be close engagement and joint activities with the Dubai Police to spread awareness among workers about safety and labour regulations.
Dr Reddy was a doctor in India’s New Delhi before he became a diplomat. Before taking on the role in Dubai, he served in Indian missions in Madrid and Europe.
