Poor people are looted at the airports - Plan backed by the government

Speed post

December 15th, 2010.

Mr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister

Government of India , New Delhi.



Subject: Email sent on March 01, 2010, regarding Immigration forms & the loot of the poor passengers at the International Airports in India





Dear Prime Minister,



Please go through the attached email, wherein I brought to your notice, the organized loot happening at the international airports across India. As usual, no action has been taken so far .May is, because the poor people do not have a lobbyist like Niira Radia!!



This is how Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is involved:



The MEA knows well that less than 5 % of the Indians know English, still the immigration forms are printed only in English. The poor Indians who cannot read / write in English are forced to shell out between Rs.20-Rs.60 for the touts to fill the forms.



It is more than six months that I have brought this to the notice of policy makers including your selves, but no action has been taken. Is this how you look after the common-man!! Do you not know how many poor workers travel to gulf countries every day!! They are robbed even before they leave the Indian shores to earn for their families, who are struggling back home at their native place to make both ends meet!



Please let me know in writing why no action has been taken on this complaint? Also, for the past so many decades, why has the government not thought of having immigration forms in Hindi and other local languages? Also can we not have counters for illiterate people at the international airport, where assistance can be provided to fill in the forms ?



The existing Immigration form does not mention, if the form has to be filled in black or blue ink, please mention this in the new forms right at the top.



Lastly, give me a definite date as to when this be done?



This complaint will be subject to RTI act, if no response is received by January 31, 2011.



In hope of the needful



-Signed

Rajendra Pratap Gupta







Encl: Email sent on March 1, 2010 & Immigration form

CC:

Mr. S.M.Krishna, Minister for External Affairs

Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi

Leader of the Opposition, Arun Jaitley (RS), Sushma Swaraj (LS)

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