New Delhi: Around 200,000 tourists entered India using e-tourist visa (e-TV) in the first two months of this year. This is equal to 50 per cent of those who arrived in the country using this facility in 2015.
The Union government decided to extend the e-TV facility to travellers in 150 countries, up from the previous 113 countries, on February 26. The announcement, however, precedes the setting up of additional infrastructure and resources needed to manage the increased influx of tourists. This has led to long queues at the immigration counters, leaving both the passengers and officials exasperated.
Officials say a passenger takes three-four minutes to clear the entire immigration process - scrutiny of his travel documents, collection of biometrics and his initial security profiling. But, he ends up standing in a queue for 35-40 minutes waiting for his turn at the immigration counter. On weekends and peak hours - between 11 pm and 2 pm - the wait time extends to one-and-a-half hours. Officials blame it on the shortage of trained staff at immigration counters.
"We are understaffed by 15-20 per cent. Still, our performance is phenomenal compared to both the developed and the developing nations," said a senior immigration officer, requesting anonymity. The official reasoned that immigration was the first opportunity where they check a passenger's antecedent to avoid a situation similar to the David Headley episode.
To Read the News in FUll 11/04/16 Sahil Makkar/Business Standard
The Union government decided to extend the e-TV facility to travellers in 150 countries, up from the previous 113 countries, on February 26. The announcement, however, precedes the setting up of additional infrastructure and resources needed to manage the increased influx of tourists. This has led to long queues at the immigration counters, leaving both the passengers and officials exasperated.
Officials say a passenger takes three-four minutes to clear the entire immigration process - scrutiny of his travel documents, collection of biometrics and his initial security profiling. But, he ends up standing in a queue for 35-40 minutes waiting for his turn at the immigration counter. On weekends and peak hours - between 11 pm and 2 pm - the wait time extends to one-and-a-half hours. Officials blame it on the shortage of trained staff at immigration counters.
"We are understaffed by 15-20 per cent. Still, our performance is phenomenal compared to both the developed and the developing nations," said a senior immigration officer, requesting anonymity. The official reasoned that immigration was the first opportunity where they check a passenger's antecedent to avoid a situation similar to the David Headley episode.
To Read the News in FUll 11/04/16 Sahil Makkar/Business Standard
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