Pics by Prajwal Ukkuda
Report: The Hindu
MANGALORE, Jul 13: Mohammed Suheal, a civil engineer, has been rendered unable to take up a job in the Gulf because his second name has been wrongly spelt in the passport as “Suhgal”. His Gulf assignment would have fetched a monthly salary equivalent of Rs. 30,000 here. But he now works in a company at Mumbai for Rs. 5,500 a month.
He was one of the many, who came to find answers to their questions relating to passports. They had come from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga, Chikmagalur and Uttara Kannada.
Preemina Menezes of Shiroor, a nursing graduate is awaiting her passport as the Ministry of Health, Dubai, has offered her a job worth Rs. 60,000 a month. She has been trying to get police clearance certificate (PCC) for the last seven months.
Padma of Alike near here wants to join her husband in Dubai for the last two months, Farida Anwar of Malpe, who came with her daughters Nibha (10) and Aauf (2), said the difference in the names of parents had led to the denial of passport for the little ones. As a result, she is unable to join her husband.
Iqbal Ahmed of Kaprigudda said that his passport was seized after an unidentified man took a passport in his name. “His signature and his photograph are different. But the authorities threaten to impose fine on me,” he told Deputy Passport Officer Ramesh Bhat at the enquiry counter.
Bhat said that passport was an important document and a lot of care was taken and rules followed while issuing it. Most people did not know that people born after January 26, 1989 should compulsorily produce their birth certificates. The applicant should have lived in the same area for one year. Some failed to produce marriage certificates. Many people leave their passports with their overseas employees and return to India. “Anyone stranded abroad is a property of the Government of India and he or she is sent to India after issuing them “emergency certificate”. Such people are referred to as having come to India on “exit”, he said.
Bhat said that a 13-member team from the Bangalore Passport Office had arrived here to help people.