India expresses concern over quality of new passports in Nepal

Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Jul 17 (PTI) India has asked Nepal not to
issue passports with security features as part of stepped up
terror vigil in the region as it expressed concern over the
quality of Machine Readable Passports (MRP) the country is
printing through a French company.
Three months after the Nepalese government scrapped a
passport deal with India and awarded it to Oberthur
Technologies of France, New Delhi has officially conveyed its
concern to Nepal over the quality of passports that the French
firm would supply.
The Indian Embassy here wrote a letter to the Nepalese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 12 expressing its concern
over the quality of the passports after media reports claimed
that "security features in MRPs have been diluted" while
awarding the tender to the French firm, sources said.
While expressing its concern over reported
sub-standard smart passports, the letter noted that Nepalese
citizens have been given many privileges in India on the basis
of their passports and "dilution of standard of the passports
is therefore a matter of concern", the sources said.
According to the Indo-Nepal Peace and Friendship
Treaty of 1950, Nepalese passport holders can buy land and
house, join jobs and engage in business activities in India
due to the open border.
Earlier, the Nepalese government had cancelled the
contract it signed with the Indian Security Press to supply
MRPs under pressure from Maoists.
The French firm has proposed to personalise passports
using printers of PARK and OPC Co Ltd, South Korea, according
to officials.
Two other bidders- Perum Peruri (Indonesia) and De La
Rue (UK) – have alleged that the printers of PARK and OPC do
not fully comply with the specifications mentioned in the
tender document.
The French company which quoted USD 3.59 per passport
was selected among the four international bidders.
India's Security Minting and Printing Corporation did
not participate in the new tender. PTI SBP
MYR