Published: 30 November 2017
Shortage of Manpower
Due to the shortage of necessary manpower, the workload at the Barishal Passport Office is quite noticeable. According to the organizational structure, the office has 21 approved posts; however, currently only 16 officers and employees are in service. There are two approved officer-level posts for Deputy Director and Assistant Director. According to the findings of the study, against these two posts, only one officer is currently serving, resulting in an excessive workload on the officer-in-charge. When only one officer is working in place of two, if for any reason the officer goes on leave or is absent, the passport processing work is likely to come to a halt. On the other hand, due to the lack of necessary staff at the application submission counter, pre-enrollment, and bio-enrollment sections, the workload is also noticeable. At present, one person at the submission counter has to verify and accept an average of 124 applications per day. Similarly, in the pre-enrollment and bio-enrollment counters/rooms, two persons have to complete an average of 62 enrollments each day.
Shortage of Infrastructural Facilities
The Barishal Passport Office does not have separate counters for male and female applicants. Observations revealed that although men and women stand in separate lines, applications are collected through a single counter, where two men and one woman are taken alternately. Men, women, sick, elderly, and disabled individuals all undergo pre-enrollment in the same room with only two computers. Because of the small doorway, limited space, and the need for men and women to stand closely together for a long time, female service recipients often feel discomfort. The same situation exists in the bio-enrollment process. Bio-enrollment is conducted in one room by two technicians, and it was observed that the room lacks sufficient lighting. Although there are multiple toilets inside the Barishal Passport Office, service recipients cannot access them. As a result, both male and female applicants were seen using a single toilet located in front of the passport distribution counter. While seating arrangements are available for service recipients, there are no separate facilities for men and women.
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