CHANDIGARH, June 14: The licences for collecting and forwarding passport applications, of 15 travel agencies have been suspended by the local Regional Passport Office (RPO) during the last about one month. While one of the agencies is located at Faridkot, the rest are City-based. The suspension is up to a period of two years, after which the concerned agencies can file an appeal for revival.In its communique sent to the concerned agencies, the RPO has alleged connivance of the agents in presenting misleading facts in the applications while applying for a passport.Sources in the RPO say that a number of cases have been detected in which the information furnished by the applicants is either incorrect or the applicant is trying to obtain another passport by making false statements. A few such applications have been received through travel agencies. The concerned travel agents, on the other hand say that their only job is to collect applications and deposit them in the RPO. They are in no way responsible for the information furnished in the applications nor does any mechanism exist wherein travel agencies can verify the information.According to a travel agent, while accepting applications directly, even the RPO cannot ensure that the information furnished is authentic. It is only the police verification later on which establishes the facts. However, no case against any agency has been registered.The licences of those agencies which have been cancelled are Akal Air Travels, Akash Travels, B.R. Enterprises, Dollar Travels, Guru Gobind Travels, Lucky Travels, Mahan Travels, Oriental Travels, Quick Travels, Swift Travels, Ukraine Travels, Haryana Travels and Guru Nanak Travels (Faridkot). RPO sources do not rule out the cancellation of a few more licences.
