Melka Miyar - Daijiworld Media Network
Mangalore, Jun 27: One may not disagree that, owing to the greed of some cops, the police department is one of the most corrupt government departments in the state. Even the senior police officers stress this point, whenever they get an opportunity to address the public.
However, in the case of Dakshina Kannada district the corruption starts at the top. The office of Superintendent of Police where the passport section is located has been the focal point of bribery. The wild face of bribery affects the most when one is in a hurry to obtain a passport.
The international flight service to and from Mangalore Bajpe airport has closely connected the Gulf countries. The number of people seeking passport for migrating to Europe, America and Australia for the purpose of higher education and employment has increased significantly. Therefore the passport section in the SP's office has gained significance and seems to be busier than ever before. This cozy office seems to have become much profitable for the police personnel posted there.
After all what exactly is the work in the SP’s office with regards to new passport or renewal of old passport? The passport section in the SP’s office is required to forward the applications certified by the respective police stations to Regional Passport Office in Bangalore with SP's signature.
Unfortunately it takes more than a month only for this small process to complete. Hence the long queue of passport aspirants in the SP's office has been a common sight throughout the week. It is significant to note that Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi has issued a memo to this office to avoid unnecessary delay in sending the reports to the RPO in Bangalore recently.
Majority of applicants here blame that there is no movement of reports without greasing the palm of concerned police on duty. The ASI who has been entrusted with the task of dispatching the reports demands money openly. This influential police has retained his lucrative seat despite though the higher officials' orders for his removal.
Moreover it is generally known that getting a passport would be easier for those who have appointment letters issued from the overseas employer, who would send the Prepaid Ticket Advice (PTA} once he sends the copy of his passport. The police concerned demands anything from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000, depending on the urgency of each case. He knows very well that RPO would not issue the passport unless they receive the report certified by SP.
The irony has been that even their own colleagues are not being spared of bribe if the report of one of their relative is lying unattended for few months.
Daijiworld reporter has witnessed a policeman serving in a suburban police station pleading the fellow policeman, to speed up the process of dispatching the report of his close relative. However, one can imagine what may be the situation of a common man, when police are struggling to move their files in the passport section here.
Satheesh Kumar, the new SP who assumed the charge on Monday June 25, is known to be a strict administrator and disciplinarian in police department. Now it has to be seen whether he would clean up this menace from his own backyard.
Soon after taking charge he has promised to look into bribe-related matters in the district police stations. But it is no more a secret that his work would start right from his threshold itself.