Thiruvananthapuram, July 4 (IANS) Veteran journalist and former editor R. Rajagopal has expressed gratitude to Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan after a prolonged passport renewal ordeal was resolved. He described the intervention of the Chief Minister’s Office as a source of reassurance during a particularly difficult phase of his life.

Rajagopal, a native of Kerala who is now based in Kolkata, had found himself caught in an administrative impasse after applying for the renewal of his passport.

The process was held up following an adverse police verification report from Kolkata, despite there being no criminal proceedings or legal disqualification against him.

The delay threatened to derail his plans to travel to the United States to attend his daughter’s wedding, forcing the veteran journalist to seek help from the Kerala government.

Responding to his representation, Chief Minister Satheesan’s office took up the matter with the authorities concerned.

The Chief Minister had also written to his West Bengal counterpart, urging that the issue be examined expeditiously so that the passport renewal application could be processed in accordance with law.

With the issue now resolved and the passport issued, Rajagopal has conveyed his appreciation to the Chief Minister in a letter, thanking him and the officials in his office for the support extended during the difficult period.

“The prompt attention given by your office reassured me that the matter would receive a fair hearing and that due process would prevail,” Rajagopal wrote, adding that he remained deeply grateful for the concern shown by the Chief Minister and his team.

He said the experience had reinforced his faith in responsive public institutions and observed that, for any citizen confronted with an unexpected administrative hurdle, it was immensely reassuring to know that the Chief Minister’s Office was willing to listen with empathy and act with sensitivity.

Rajagopal also expressed the hope that the same responsiveness would continue to be extended to every Keralite seeking assistance, saying such interventions strengthen public confidence in democratic governance and reaffirm that governments exist to serve the people.

–IANS

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