Manama: The Indian Embassy in Bahrain has rejected recent claims of a steep hike in passport and visa fees. The embassy termed these claims as ‘speculation’. These claims had raised concerns among the Indian diaspora and opposition leaders had questioned the government.
Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO advocating migrant rights, had said on X that the revised government Request for Proposal (RFP) could lead to a 15 to 20 times increase in consular, passport and visa (CPV) service fees. The proposed bundled package will include additional services such as document digitisation, biometric capture, photocopying and photography, form filling and courier services.
According to the Migrant Legal Cell, this could increase the cost from the current five-seven dollars to $90-100 (about Rs 7-8 more), even if applicants do not require all the services.
Congress leader KC Venugopal had sought clarification
Following the news, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal claimed that the fees would increase by 10 to 15 times and sought clarification from the government, reports Business Standard . The NGO urged the authorities to reconsider and argued that many Indian migrant workers earn modest salaries and would find it difficult to afford the higher fees.
The NGO Migrant Legal Cell appealed to the government not to implement the proposal. “Many migrants earn modest salaries and will face difficulty in affording the revised fees, which have increased up to five times in some countries,” the memorandum said.
Indian Embassy in Bahrain denies fee hike
According to the report, the Indian Embassy in Bahrain issued a statement rejecting the claims. The statement said, “There has been no increase in fees for various consular services provided in Bahrain, as claimed. The Embassy advises all concerned parties to refrain from unverified and speculative reports, which may cause inconvenience to the Indian community and impact service delivery.” The Ministry of External Affairs also rejected these reports, saying that these are speculations and are not based on any official decision.
What is RFP?
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a formal document issued by the Government of India or its embassies and consulates abroad inviting bids from service providers for managing consular services. These services include visa processing, passport issuance, and applications for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme. Indian embassies and consulates issue RFPs from time to time to invite bids from qualified providers.
Related Articles:_
- 8th Pay Commission: Employees’ salary will increase by this much in the 8th Pay Commission, this formula will be applicable! Know the details
- Indigo New flights: Indigo has started flights from Mumbai to African country Seychelles, check the schedule
- Holi Special Train: Railways announced 14 special trains on these routes, check route & other detail
- Google warns! Delete these 16 extensions immediately, otherwise you will suffer big losses
- Visa Rule Change: This country has changed the visa rules, work and study permits will be cancelled on these mistakes
