After filling it correctly, she submitted it on June 15 to enable me to renew her work permit on time.

At the submission counter, she was given a second form to complete quickly and submit it together with the first form.

As she could not get help or contact me, she completed the second form by referring to the first and submitted both forms.

In the second form, the word husband was replaced with spouse. Thinking that spouse meant sponsor, she incorrectly entered my name as her spouse.

When she returned in the afternoon, I telephoned the passport officer and the passport section to point out the error. I engaged the speaker and redial functions of the phone and kept calling for more than two hours.

No one answered. I tried the mailbox to leave my message but it was full. With staff who are too busy even to take a phone call, even an e-mail from me would not have been read.

The following Monday and Wednesday, I spent several hours in the morning and afternoon on the phone. Again, no one answered.

On June 22, my maid went to collect her passport. After taking note of my name as her spouse, she requested the consular officer to refer to the first form and expunge my name. He would not to do it unless she produced her marriage certificate which is in India.

He informed her that her passport was produced in India and was delivered to the HCI. I wanted to inform him that the birth certificate of my maid's daughter is available for verification of her marriage but the officer refused to talk to me.

After a discourteous exchange with my maid, he agreed to make an endorsement in the passport in poor English. It read: 'The holder's spouse name entered in back cover page should be treat as deletted'.

My maid took more than two hours to submit the forms and pay the fee. It was not a pleasant experience to be in a dilapidated colonial house (HCI) with squeaking fans and no toilets for visitors.

When she went to collect the passport, she joined a long queue of more than 50 people along the Leonie Hill Road pavement until a narrow gate to the HCI premises opened at 4.10pm.

Then the orderly queue broke up and everyone rushed in. They formed queues haphazardly. No signs were displayed to guide them to the right collection counters. In confusion, they queue-hopped, causing some flare-up and swearing. No rain shelter is provided for the queues.

I would like the HCI to provide answers to the following questions.

Why were the forms not checked properly at the submission counter? Is it not the responsibility of the processing officer to check for any discrepancy in the forms? Why are the phones not attended to?

If the passport comes from India, why does HCI charge $100 when a similar (36 pages, 10 years validity) fresh adult passport fee in India (website: passport.nic.in) is only 1,000 rupees which is about $40?

Why are the visitors for collection of documents not allowed into the premises of HCI before collection time since there is no shelter provided on the roadside pavement to take cover when it rains?

Why does HCI charge exorbitant fees (website: www.embassyofindia.com) for consular services: passport ($80-550), visa to India ($80-260), attestation ($20-100)?

What are the implications of inclusion of my name as my maid's spouse despite the endorsement in her passport?

Although my maid assumes responsibility for her mistake, is it possible for her to surrender the passport and apply for another with the fee waiver? When will the HIC upgrade its facilities to provide some basic comfort to the visitors?

Cyril Pereira