LAHORE, Jan 18: The fasttrack system introduced by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to facilitate people has lost its utility owing primarily to 'officialdom'.

The authority had introduced centres at a few places of the city for those who could afford high fee (Rs1,000) for getting 'hasslefree' computerised national identity card (CNIC) and Rs500 for registration of children. However, reports say there has been no difference between some of these centres and the ordinary ones.

A visit to a fast-track system centre at Township's Butt Chowk shows that the people are paying exorbitant fee but in return waiting for hours to get through the process.

'I visited the office at 10am for renewal of my CNIC but the staff head told me that the system is down andcome after some time. Then I came at 2pm. Now it's 6pm and still I am waiting for my turn to get through the whole process,' Sajjad Ahmed told Dawn.

He lamented that had he known about the hassle he would have preferred going to ordinary one to at least save some bucks.

'The staffers in the centre are lethargic as they do not value the time of their customers,' said another client Babar and also complained about impoliteness of the staff.

Rozina Karim, assistant manager of the centre, blamed 'sudden' influx of the people for delay in processing the data of applicants.

Besides this, she said, the Nadra (ordinary) centres were busy in processing the voter lists, therefore, the fasttrack system centres were overburdened.