NEW DELHI: Ministry of External Affairs' passport application process in Bangalore is in a mess and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the IT major that bagged the MEA contract, faces the prospect of losing it, says a report in Deccan Herald.
The project is facing several issues like slow servers, which are said to crash frequently. According to the news story, TCS software has not been able to handle pressure. After the launch, the system has broken down so frequently that applicants who registered online had a trying time filling in the information. Many such applicants have now returned to PSKs for manual submission of the forms and supporting documents.
Citing MEA sources, the report says that till date TCS has been fined Rs 48 lakh for the delays and problems in implementation of the project. Also, the integration of TCS software with PISON, the old system of the Passport Office is still in process.
TCS bagged the Rs 1000 cr- Passport Seva Project in October 2008. Based on public-private-partnership model, the project aims to provide passport-related services to Indian citizens in a speedy, convenient and transparent manner. However, since June 2009, the project has seen several new deadlines.
According to an agreement with TCS, a pilot study was to be launched in Bangalore and Chandigarh in March 2009. However, the project missed the deadline due to delay in physical infrastructure and technological problems.