M A I N   N E W S

Passport offices for Shimla, Dehra Dun 
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
The Union Government is seriously considering to tighten control over immigration agents operating from within the country. “We have a task force comprising senior officials from various ministries, including the External Affairs and the Home Affairs, to review the working of immigration services and agents operating from within the country. We are holding regular review meetings and may come out with a law to control the working of travel agents, immigration agents and services engaged in sending people abroad,” says Mr R.R. Das, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs.

Mr Das, who accompanied Mr Anand Sharma to Chandigarh for the Press Information Bureau (PIB) organised interactive programme here, said special awareness campaigns were being launched to create an awareness in general public about avenues of going abroad on regular visa or work permit.

Mr Das, who is also the Chief Passport Officer, said the state governments had also been advised to launch special awareness campaigns against exploitation by unauthorised travel and immigration agents.

Meanwhile, the ministry had also directed all passport officers in the country to provide all possible details about prospective brides and bridegrooms keen on getting married in India.

“Besides the registration of marriage, we want that the name of the spouse should also be entered in the passport.

In case a parent wants to verify antecedents of a boy or girl settled abroad, our passport offices and missions overseas will try to provide them as much information as possible,” Mr Anand Sharma added.

He said it was the prerogative of any country to decide its visa policy. “We can only request facilitation of our people.

As far as the US visa policy is concerned, President George Bush himself had commented about liberalising his country’s policy towards Indians seeking visas.

“There are a large number of IT professionals as well as students who are keen to go the US,” he added , revealing that under the new passport policy to be unveiled soon, there would be some special features to help students.

Mr Sharma announced the setting up of four more passport offices in the country, including Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Dehra Dun (Uttaranchal) and Rampur (Chattisgarh) and Malapuram (Kerala).

“As far as Jalandhar is concerned, we are requesting the Punjab Government to allot us a piece of land so that we can build our own spacious office there and provide all basic facilities there,” he said.

The appointment of new regional passport officer in Chandigarh would be notified soon, he added.