Acute shortage of visa sticker has compelled the government to consider a proposal to go back to visa stamping system.
At present the stock is low as about 10,000 whereas only Kolkata mission on an average issue 2,000 visa every month.
The Department of Immigration has floated a re-tender to procure five million machine readable visa stickers but it will take about six months to get the first lot.
“The last date to submit tender is 24th of this month and it will take another couple of months to complete technical and financial evaluation process and give the working order,” said an official.
The awarded company will take some time to produce the first lot and supply it to us, he said.
“Add up all these, we are talking about six months to get the stickers.”
Another official said, “We used to have stamp visa and it can be reintroduced till the stickers are available.”
The Immigration Department has already submitted a proposal to reintroduce stamp visa system and the home ministry is yet to make any decision, he said.
Meanwhile, an official of a Bangladesh mission said, “We are facing some difficulties.”
We are trying to give our best service but due to the shortage it is difficult for us to maintain the time schedule, he added.
The Immigration Department floated a tender to procure five million pieces of stickers in April but it was scrapped by the home ministry as agency did not follow the Public Procurement Rules.
Last month, the department floated the tender again to supply the stickers within the next 18 months.