Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Passengers who are landing with electronic visa (e-visa) at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar airport are being sent back as the airport does not have facility of e-visa verification, causing untold misery to the passengers for no fault of their own.
The irony is that the machines necessary for e-visa verification were put in place five months ago, but the facility has not started because the Union ministry of home affairs has not issued the necessary notification!
According to official sources at least half a dozen passengers have been sent back after they landed with e-visas in the Dubai flight.
An official who did not want to be identified said, "With Air India starting an international flight from Dubai, the Union home ministry decided to provide facility of e-visa verification available at the airport.
Thus, five biometric verification machines provided by the Bureau of Immigration, were installed by the
Airport Authority of India (AAI) five months ago at the immigration check area of the airport. The facility would be started the moment the MHA issues the notification.
TK Jose, chairman of MP Chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) informed that Indian Embassies are issuing e-visa in the form of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to the nationals of 156
countries. E-visa verification facility at entry points is available at 28 airports and at the exit points at 34 airports in the country. The visa is issued in six categories - tourist, business, conference, medical, medical attendant and emergency.
The entire process of getting e-visa is done online and it is sent to the applicant via e-mail. A passenger has to show the print-out of ETA and undergo a biometric verification process at the airport.
I’ll urge MHA again to issue notification: MP Shankar Lalwani
"Soon after starting of the Indore-Dubai flight, I wrote to MHA to provide e-visa facility at the city airport. Accordingly, thefacility has been made available here. Now, I am writing to MHA again to issue a notification necessary for starting the e-visa verification facility here," said Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament.
