Swaraj calls for best facilities for passport offices

Taking a stern view of the "bad shape" of the passport office in Bengaluru, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today directed officials to conduct random checks of such buildings and lease new office spaces.
The minister who received complaints about the "bad condition" of the Bengaluru passport office on Twitter said, "Passport work cannot be carried out through windows."
"I keep getting complaints about the passport office in Bengaluru. If a passport office in such a mega city is in a bad shape...Passports have to be issued through windows? How will it work if passport offices are operated through windows," she said while instructing the ministry officials to do the needful at the earliest.

Addressing a conference of passport officials, she said the efficiency of passport offices has improved significantly over the last one year without increasing its strength.
Swaraj said when officers were slogging hard, it was the duty of the ministry to ensure better working environment for them.
The External Affairs Minister instructed the officers to do random checking on passport buildings which were not in good shape.
"If need arises, rent a property at the earliest as constructing a new building would take time," she added.