New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) Ever heard of a government department whose one wing goes en masse for lunch while the other wing efficiently continues to function, leaving scores of people - the elderly and women with crying babies included - cursing their fate? Welcome to the passport office in Delhi.

My visit to the Regional Passport Office - behind Hotel Hyatt Regency - on Friday was an eye-opener.

Journalists often use their contacts in the government to get their work done at the passport office. I too have done it in the past. This time I sought a fresh passport online, courtesy Tatkal Seva. I was asked to be at the office at 12 noon.

The government has (rightly) outsourced the bulk of passport related work to a private agency. They are the ones I first dealt with. They were efficient, courteous and helpful, answering questions to our satisfaction.

After my passport application and supporting documents were verified at the front counter, I was told to be seated - like numerous others - before being sent to A Wing (also with the private agency) where a pleasant young man did all the scrutiny besides photographing me and taking my fingerprints.

The work over in 10-15 minutes, he assured me that my passport would be delivered at my residence in three to four working days. He asked me to go to B and C Wings that I learnt later are with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The difference in demeanor between what I had encountered thus far and this section was so stark that I first took these officers to be from the security agencies.

There were two desks each in B Wing (B1, B2) and C Wing (C1, C2), each manned by an officer. C2 had two: a young man and an elderly man. An Assistant Passport Officer (APO) was also chipping in.

The waiting area here had 40 chairs but it held around 60 men, women and children. Courtesy an automated numbering system, I was called to B2 where the officer scrutinized my documents. I was told to wait to be summoned by C Wing.