GUJRANWALA, June 25: Work on the passport office building, which was to be completed within one year, has just begun after a lapse of one-and-half-years and because of this delay the passport office is being run at a rented building with inadequate facilities for visitors.

The office was first run at a private building near the general bus stand. A few years ago, the administration shifted it on Old Sialkot Road without taking into consideration people’s convenience. The new office is without drinking water and seating arrangements for the visitors. People have to submit their passport forms by standing in long queues in the scorching heat.

The Interior Ministry acquired land for the passport office near an old railway station a few years ago and allocated Rs166 million for the construction of a two-storey building. The PWD was assigned to complete the building in one year. Its contractor started work on the building in the second half of 2006, but he did not complete even foundation of the building after one-and-half-years. Sources said the contractor stopped the construction work twice after the PWD did not clear his bills.

PWD officials said the department was short of funds so it could not complete the building on time. Now the department has acquired funds and the construction work has been accelerated.

Also, passport-seekers call for better facilities at the passport office. They say that agents are fleecing them at the passport office on various pretexts.