Passport employees’ tonsured protest against privatisation
June 26th, 2010 - 6:15 pm ICT by IANSChandigarh, June 26 (IANS) Five employees of the passport office here staged a tonsured protest to demand govenment control over software that is being developed to enable the issuing of e-passports, saying this should not be privatised.
“Our chapters throughout the country are demanding control of government employees on the new software that has been developed by TCS (Tata Consultancy Services). We do not want any private player to work on it,” Sunil Dutt, president of the Chandigarh chapter of the All India Passport Employees Association (AIPEA), told IANS Saturday of the protest here the previous day.
“By involving private players, they are putting the security of the country at stake. Besides we also want the officials concerned to streamline the transfer policies. Salary hikes should also be done in the most transparent manner,” he added.
Five members of the AIPEA had themselves tonsured publicly and then sat on a protest in front of Regional Passport Office (RPO) Friday.
“We have approached senior officials of the ministry of external affairs with our demands many times in the past. But apart from lame assurances, we did not get anything. If we do not get any reply this time, we will go on an indefinite hunger strike in the first week of July,” Dutt said.
- 'Holiday' protest by passport office employees - Feb 28, 2010
- India to issue e-passports to citizens soon - Mar 06, 2010
- Another delay hits India's fast passport project - Dec 18, 2009
- Passport Seva Kendra opens in Guwahati - Apr 17, 2012
- Haryana Roadways employees' strike harasses people - Jun 08, 2011
- Farmers' leader sits on hunger strike - Sep 20, 2010
- Thousands hit due to bus strike in Haryana (Lead) - Jun 08, 2011
- Operation theatre staff strike work in Chandigarh hospital - Feb 06, 2011
- A passport in three days? New project to roll out soon - Jun 07, 2011
- Passport office staff demonstrate against outsourcing - Mar 02, 2010
- E-passport to revolutionise passport services in the country - May 27, 2010
- Haryana bus strike hits thousands (Second Lead) - Jun 08, 2011
- 60,000 Punjab power board employees strike work - Mar 31, 2010
- Meena couple begins hunger strike demanding compensation for tribals - Apr 12, 2011
- Bank staff plans strike against privatisation, law changes - Jun 28, 2011
Tags: assurances, chandigarh, government employees, indefinite hunger strike, ministry of external affairs, new software, passports, private player, private players, privatisation, protest, regional passport office, reply, salary hikes, senior officials, stake, sunil dutt, tata consultancy services, transfer policies, transparent manner