Attestation from the undersecretary of department of transport(vidan soudha stories)

Attestation from the undersecretary of department of transport(vidan soudha stories)

The story so far: having gotten the PCC, now its time to get these letters attested by the undersecretary transport department (passport and foreigners section).

The cast:

Ashwin

Keedi (aka K)

Sweet lady 1(opposite the main door)

Sweet lady 2(next to the main door)

John(always has a queue in front of him)

Laughing stock man

Efficient bureaucrat (aka Murali)(notice the irony but this guy exists? J)

Helpful bureaucrat (notice the pun? Not intended as this guy helped yours truly J)

Watson

Props:

Bottle of water

Mobile

Novels

Read on…

So K and me went to the vidana soudha to get the PCC attested by some vague department named blah blah located on the 2^nd floor in the heart of the Karnataka government.

I left early on that fateful day; thought that the early bird gets the worm types, read my earlier experiences wrt the infamous PCC incidents. (1) http://ashwinnatarajan1982.blogspot.com/

I thought that this would help me finish my work early. How wrong I was.

They did not allow us into the VS until 3.00 in the afternoon. Yup you heard it! This is the only government office which asks you to come at 3 in the freaking afternoon.

So there we were at 12.35 in front of the main gate asking to be let in, and the thin-mustached cop says that you need a damn slip from the transport department to go in. I queried: how do I get the slip without you letting me in???? The fellow just smiles!!!! Welcome to India..

I went to a nearby library to spend some time. I had bought a novel anticipating this trouble. Read (1). There we where reading some novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln child, I thought that spending this time was going to be a breeze. How wrong I was.

K kept staring at the clock saying he could hear it ticking. Plus the silence psyched him out completely. He could hear people mugging some civil administration stuff, and I for one saw one fellow copying out a text book. I mean who copies a text book into a blank piece of paper? This should go into Ripley’s or Guinness.

Later we crossed the road to have lunch in the place, next to the mythic society. Finished lunch and we were laughing at getting stuck in this library. K got psyched out, kept getting those shifty eyes you know the surest sign of a psychopath. No offence K honest….

Time passed like the ages. Finally we were back to the side entry to where we had gone before. The cops sent us walking a km just for fun I guess. We went to the gate next to the high court and the cop started looking at us suspiciously. He asked do you need the PCC attestation for both, I replied yes. Then there was a perfunctory check of my bag which could have unearthed nothing.

We went in and the first entrance where we saw a bunch of potbellied cops in khakis. They re-directed us to an entrance which was ½ a km in the other direction. We entered that place after writing our names in the register. Don’t know why they have registers, they don’t seem to serve any purpose. Does anyone actually check registers? I could write daffy duck was here and no one would be any wiser.

The area we entered was like the cross between a marriage hall and a temple. We were supposed to go to room number 224 where this office is located. We walked up, that was a big mistake, should have taken the lift, but when 50 people want to get into it that kind of turned me off. I suggested we walk.

Reached the 2^nd floor and from there it was about 500 meters of corridors we had to navigate to reach 224.

There was a board put up out side which detailed instructions. It was pretty concise:

1. 2 copies of the PCC

2. receipt of payment of attestation fee(105 to be paid on the ground floor room number 25 next to the SBM ATM)

3. a letter stating your requirement for attestation

I had everything but item number one, crap!! We asked the clerk around whether they could Xerox the certificates. He said yes, 3 bucks a copy. Time to start getting ripped off I guess.

Got the copy and went in with trepidation, sweet lady 1 looked at my material and signed. Told me to get the challan from the ground floor, we started trudging again, this time to room number 25 which is located on the other side of the same building, Reached there after a good 15 minute walk. Guess this is how civil servants keep fit. You could skate in the corridors, they are quite polished.

I thought that you got to get both the PCC certificates attested, even though they were clones. That was another mistake. You need to pay 105 bucks that’s all. I paid 505 and was supposed to get 300 back because of my assumption.

The guy behind me in the queue was impatient and he started asking hmm hmm…. In all that confusion I forgot to take the change from the counter guy. Crap!! I didn’t realize this till I got home in the evening. Losing money is bad enough, but sub-consciously bribing a government official for no gain at all stinks to the high heavens. More on this but that will be a separate blog article altogether. : P

So we walked back. By now the walking bit was really painful. My slippers were protesting this abuse of their fundamental rights. To be left in a corner at home all the time. J

Reached 224 finally and was re-directed to john.(this guy always has a queue in front of him) there was this chap from north who was asking him questions. He looked even more befuddled than me. Kept going out of the room and coming back over and over asking a different question every time. Guess he did not know how to read the big board put outside for viewing pleasure.

Finally I reached the head of the queue but not before doing some deft sidestepping when people wanted to move from one place to another. This was a human traffic jam. John sighed and started working on my file and this girl from kerala kept irritating him, wanted to give her the middle finger and send her on her way coz she might have messed up my work. Finally he told her to do some things which she obviously didn’t want to do. Think it meant some more paperwork from some other office, namely a government one. He he.

John processed my papers and threw them in the middle of the mess of files kept in front of him.

Over to Murali, I smiled and asked now what? He says, I am modern let me take a printout. He printed some stuff and made me get the sign from the big boss in that place.

Got that and came back, he put the duplicate copy and one other letter asking the passport office to authenticate my PCC, That done, he put it in a cover and sealed it asking me to go back to the regional passport office to get the letter sent from them to these guys.

Have gotten bored typing this much, hence leaving the rest out. * some text missing *…

End of part 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2 ( back where it all began- the regional passport office)

Ok this time I was smart because of my previous experience.

Took my dad along, asked him to jump the queue and enquire. Everyone was staring, didn’t care. I had the secret weapon, a white haired senior citizen. Gave the piece of paper and a letter stating why I required the authentication from these guys. He wrote “please let in” blah blah. Went to the 2^nd floor and to the passport policies section to submit the stuff. They said they would send the stuff to the VS via speed post in 2 days

End of part 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3(Oh no not again- the vidana soudha)

Went there, this time at 4 o clock and was allowed in, by now I knew the routine and went to the right entrance just in time to see some 200 people wanting to enter through the same place. Cut the queue went in front.

The heckling was unbearable. Went near the entrance and was asked to wait while 2 clueless girls were signing the register. They were heading for attestation. Ha-ha, revenge is sweet.

Walked up, went straight to the sweet lady 2 who said yes your letter has arrived. Was asked to speak to Watson, he directed me to Holmes. Just kidding,

There was a sorry loser sitting in that office, the only bug in that office that I would like to smash without concern for environmentalists.

He made me stand next to the main door while he went into the loo sized office where the undersecretary sits. Said he will call me in. was getting psyched out. The same scene was getting played out as before only different actors this time. Saw a frustrated foreigner standing outside wondering why he came to India in the first place.

Finally the bug came out and went to his desk. He made me fetch a file from john who surprisingly obliged quite quickly. People in his queue were staring at me. Like I care!!

Gave the file to the bug and he made me write something in the side of some obscure document saying “everything received in proper order”

He then asked me for a 200 buck bribe, as if it was the most normal thing to do. I told him that I am a student and gave him 100. The bastard, wish he loses 10 times the money he earns in bribes. That will be sweet revenge.

Got the attested PCC and came out. The ordeal was over, breathed in the fresh air and felt free as a bird.

End of part 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The backdoor

1. take 2 copies of your PCC and keep them ready before going to room number 224
2. Take a letter saying why you want an attestation.
3. You can also call 080 22033732 for instructions, however the below manual is quite self sufficient.
4. Go at 3 o clock to VS, not before they don’t let you in before that.
5. Go straight to the ground floor (other side) to room number 25 and not to the 2^nd floor directly.
6. Get the receipt, pay exact change of 105, and remember to take the change from the cashier.
7. Read the instructions on the outside board carefully,
8. Take a deep breath before going in; there is only CO2 in there. Ventilation is good though
9. Speak to the 2 ladies or the gent sitting on the left side in the middle if you need information. These people were quite helpful to me.
10. Go to john. He always has a flock in front of his table. He will write some things and send you to Murali, who sits quite comfortably where no people can brush past him.
11. Murali will print something and send you to the US(undersecretary)
12. Take a sign and come out, give it to Murali, he will put the PCC and his paperwork in a cover and give it to you.
13. He will give you a number, remember it or write it down. You can quote it when you go back the final time.
14. Go to the RPO the next day early with a senior citizen (any senior citizen) jump the queue behind the building.
15. Go to the counter where everyone submits the pink forms. This is next to the parking lot.
16. He will ask you whether you have bought your letter. Show it to him along with the cover the VS guys gave you.
17. He will write something on the letter etc, asking you to be let in.
18. Go to the cops in the main entrance. They will now let you in and ask you to go to the 2^nd floor.
19. go to the 2^nd floor passport policies section and handover the entire thing to them
20. They will dispatch the same via speed post to VS. Should take around 2 days.
21. Call VS to check with the number given to you. Remember step 12?
22. follow step 1,8 and then you will be forwarded to Watson.
23. Go to Watson, he has got big eyes and looks constantly harassed.
24. No more short cuts. Read the part 3 of my blog for more details

Emigrate to another country immediately and hope that the government offices there are better. J