Protesting passport staff to work today

KOCHI: Passport employees across the country will work on February 27, which being Saturday, is otherwise a holiday, to protest against certain systemic flaws as also to attract the attention of authorities towards their demands. They will also take out lunch-time demonstrations on March 2 and March 3 outside passport offices. In the event of the authorities not heeding their demands despite these protest measures, the employees would go on a two-day token strike from March 4, the All-India Passport Employees� Association said in a memorandum to the Joint Secretary (CPV), who doubles up as the Central Passport Officer. Expressing its disagreement with the Passport Tatkal Seva Project, the association accused the government of obtaining technology and staff from private vendor at a higher coast instead of generating adequate technology and staff at a lower cost for the project.� Private vendors should not be given monopoly or the sole right to accept passport application in the office of private vendor. �Also, the control of software must be in the hands of the government,� it said in the memorandum