Chaos reigns as delegates run after passes

Hareesh P / TNN / Jan 7, 2006, 03:36 IST

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Only two persons operated the cash counter: This resulted in a number of delegates having to wait for their turn.

Chaos reigns as delegates run after passes

HYDERABAD: Delegates attending the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2006 scheduled to start from Saturday had a tough time getting their registration done at the counter set up at the Greenlands Guest House on Friday.
The process of issuing the passes involved filling up of a registration form, payment of the prescribed amount, a photo session, verification by the police and finally issuing the delegate and car pass.
Single counters were set up for all of these stages. Only two persons operated the cash counter: one looked after the credit card payments and the other cash payments. This resulted in a number of delegates having to wait for their turn.
Even as the delegates were made to run from one counter to another for registration, the officials looking after the protocol and transport arrangements engaged in a heated argument over the lack of proper transport facilities for the delegates.

Lack of coordination between the Union ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) and the agency hired to provide transport facilities to the delegates left many visiting delegates complaining.
Each delegate was provided with a vehicle at his or her place of stay, but many did not get it. Following repeated complaints, the transport organisers alleged that they have made adequate arrangements but the lack of coordination between the government officials has resulted in the fiasco.

The protocol officials took objection to the allegations. "Nobody is aware of what is happening here. It is chaotic," complained Pradeep Mannemala, a businessman from US who has come to attend the conference.
He waited for over an hour for getting a car pass. Long queues were witnessed at the photo counter where the delegates were being photographed.
Three computers were being operated to treat the images taken by a digital camera. But a single printer slowed down the whole process. It took nearly 15 minutes for a delegate to go through the photo session.
16 delegates from Reunion Islands, who arrived on Thursday night, did not get proper guidance to reach the hotel where they were to stay.

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