Slow and costly: ‘Fast track’ passport service lets down applicants

Department accused of breaching trust by failing to deliver passports in 3 days.

At around Friday noon, hundreds of people had gathered outside Room 18, the grievance and complaints section of the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar, Kathmandu. In the midday heat, they were visibly exhausted. Some sat on the floor, while others milled about, clutching documents and receipts in their hands.