‘Passport kendras not kids-friendly’

Residents are irked by the poor upkeep in the centres, especially the one at Aminjikarai. Narrating his experience at the centre, Dr Naveen Kumar, father of a 13-year-old from Saidapet, said, “When we were given an appointment for renewal, we went to the centre expecting to get it done soon. However, we were wrong. First, we had to wait in a hall, where people were haphazardly sitting around. There was no proper ventilation or air-conditioning. The toilets too were not neatly maintained.” Dr Naveen said that such a condition was not at all suitable for babies. “Generally, when we go as a family, members are given different slots making us to wait there longer. It would have been easier, if they were issued single tokens and processed together,” he added.

Paediatrician Dr Benny Benjaman said, “Though not all centres make people wait for long, those that do should respect the public and provide them with a comfortable environment. Recently, a 6-year-old child was brought to me directly from a PSK, as he fell sick following a long wait.”

On her recent visit to a PSK, a mother of a five-month-old baby, from Adyar said, “My husband and I were called for an appointment, which took us over four hours. My baby kept wailing, which drove others mad. These centres should introduce feeding stations.” 

When contacted over phone, Regional Passport Officer Ashok Babu refused to comment.