RE:You pay a bribe to get a passport?
by JM on Aug 28, 2007 11:20 PM Permalink
Did you bribe to get a passport that you were not entitled to get otherwise? OR did you a bribe because you were not given the passport on time (it depends on the office but normally it takes 3-4 months? Heck, it takes 4 months in the US to get a US passport unless you pay about $90 extra for premium processing!!!) OR did you pay a bribe to get a passport earlier than the scheduled time because you were late in applying OR dd you pay a bribe for your passport because you were not willing to wait in the line?
Also, did you bribe someone in the passport office? or an 'agent' or the police constable?
It is easy to say India is corrupt and this and that but it happens often that people fail to apply for a passport in advance or dont want to stand in the line or something like that. And then they blame India for being corrupt.
Im not blaming you Angshuman of doing anything wrong and maybe you bribed the passport officer because he was corrupt and would not give you a passport unless you bribed him but Im really interested in your story.
My contension is if you apply in advance and are willing to stand in the line and willing to wait for the time you are supposed to wait, then you do NOT need to bribe to get a passport. This is atleast true in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai offices. I have to concede, Im not sure about Orissa or Bihar and other parts of India.
