New Delhi: Days after complaints of chaos at immigration counters at Delhi airport’s Terminal 3, Union Home Secretary on November 1 conducted a high-level meeting discussing various measures to resolve the immigration services at the airport. The various methods cited for the improvement in the services include upgradation of technology, provision of modern equipment, allotment of additional space and an increase in the manpower. All the developments were discussed in the presence of senior officials from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Bureau of Immigration (BOI), National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
Looking at the problems faced by the commuters, a number of decisions were taken to improve the immigration services. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) will provide space for at least 10 more immigration counters at ‘departure area’ by November 15. However, these counters will start functioning from November 20 after essential equipment such as passport reading machines, computers, web-cameras, etc are provided by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI). Meanwhile, another 10 counters will be included to look after the immigration services by January 2018.
In order to fill the vacant posts, around 1,800 additional manpower will be provided by BOI, which includes central armed police forces and ex-servicemen.
Looking at the significant rise in foreigners traveling to India, at least 10 e-Visa counters have been proposed to be made functional for electronic Visa facility by November 30,2017. In addition to the 10 proposed e-Visa counters, another 25 counters for electronic Visa facility will be made operational by January 2018. The decisions taken by the authorities aims at making immigration services more convenient to both foreigners traveling to India and Indians going abroad.
As reported by news agency PTI, officials from MHA and BOI conducted an on-spot assessment and found out that each passengers spend almost 90 seconds at an immigration counter, which the government plans to reduce it to 30 seconds.
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