About two months back I managed to get my passport drenched in the Mumbai rains. For all those cynics who are going .. how the hell, you should have known better, knowing Mumbai rains you should carry it in a bag etc etc, well in my defense, this is my first monsoon in Mumbai and well I refuse to take any responsibility for it. However the story is not about how it got wet but about what happened thereafter.
So being in the Business Development team my Job Description involves some amount of travel where I am suppose to work my charm and wit and convince the customer to buy my product. Hence it was important that my passport got renewed at the earliest. So I did my research and found out from the website (http://passport.gov.in/) the list of documents I need and the fee. I was fairly impressed because the website had all the information I needed.
So then I put everything together and called up all the agents listed on just dial. Well 98% said that it is not possible to renew a damaged passport under Tatkal scheme. When I insisted that I have checked the website and it says I can, they shot me down. Of course they were doing this day in and day out and how dare I challenge their wisdom. The 2% who agreed that I can asked me to pay them 10-12k for the job. So frustrated I decided I'll do it myself.
The passport division had made it pretty easy, what with online applications and appointments. So I filled up all the particulars and submitted the form online. On submission I was asked to select a date and time of appointment. I gladly selected the same and noted it down on a piece of paper. Now me being me, I lost the paper but I didnt lose heart. How difficult could it be? I just had to go check the website with me application number and I'll get the appointment details. Well the website had been pretty impressive so far so I had hope. Alas!!! not everything in life works out. I tried googling everything possible but to no avail. Could never trace the details. So finally I caved in to the agent's demand and hired one.
He sent me a list of everything that I had to submit. As proof of current address I had to send forth my Bank Statement for the last one year, a society letter and an NOC from the landlord. Bank statements were in place BUT ... yes I know there is always a BUT. Otherwise there will never be any story right?
So the Society chairman said he wont issue a society letter as we were tenants and not owners of the apartment. He was some lawyer so he "claimed" he knows the law a little to well. When I asked him why would the passport office ask for such a document if its against the law ... well the answer was 'where do you work?' 'what is your qualification?'. When I told him that I am an MBA from a reputed school and am working as an 'Associate Manager' in my company well he did feel some respect for me and offered to give a letter on his letterhead :) Sadly the government does not accept any such document.
As for the landlord ... "Sorry. I dont feel right about issuing a NOC". Yeah I understand your dilemma mr. Landlord. What if we takeover your property using that NOC which states 'Amrita Banerjee has been living at this address since 1st April, 2010 as a tenant'. That's definitely possible I would say because I can prove that the apartment belongs to me since I possess the NOC.
But now since I have justified the actions of every person who could help me to prove I live where I live and didn't, what do I do to prove that I did in fact live where I did?
So I dropped in a line or two to the Ministry of External Affairs asking them to resolve my problem and I am still waiting for a response.
Any of you guys have any suggestion???
So the Society chairman said he wont issue a society letter as we were tenants and not owners of the apartment. He was some lawyer so he "claimed" he knows the law a little to well. When I asked him why would the passport office ask for such a document if its against the law ... well the answer was 'where do you work?' 'what is your qualification?'. When I told him that I am an MBA from a reputed school and am working as an 'Associate Manager' in my company well he did feel some respect for me and offered to give a letter on his letterhead :) Sadly the government does not accept any such document.
As for the landlord ... "Sorry. I dont feel right about issuing a NOC". Yeah I understand your dilemma mr. Landlord. What if we takeover your property using that NOC which states 'Amrita Banerjee has been living at this address since 1st April, 2010 as a tenant'. That's definitely possible I would say because I can prove that the apartment belongs to me since I possess the NOC.
But now since I have justified the actions of every person who could help me to prove I live where I live and didn't, what do I do to prove that I did in fact live where I did?
So I dropped in a line or two to the Ministry of External Affairs asking them to resolve my problem and I am still waiting for a response.
Any of you guys have any suggestion???
