<b>Subir Roy:</b> Birth pangs of a passport

Why could several closed counters I saw in the hall not be opened and manned?

"Want to get your passport renewed? Get started online,” said a friend, breezily. I did, paid up online under the Tatkaal route and got an early appointment. At the Passport Sewa Kendra, there was a large crowd but the queue at the Tatkaal counter was not too long. They saw my papers, gave me a token number and off I went to a large hall teeming with people. 

There was order despite the crowd, a large electronic board displayed token numbers and soon I was seated in front of a young girl, who looked like a person from the Tata Consultancy