Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has directed the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Tiruchirappalli not to interfere with the legitimate business of licensed travel agents in providing passport related services to applicants till August 5. The directive was given by the court on a petition by Approved Travel Agents Welfare Association complaining that the RPO was not allowing their members to carry on their legitimate business though they were authorised to do so. "The association members can be allowed to continue with their work till August 5," Justice R Sudhakar said and asked the Chief Passport Officer (CPO) and RPO to file a detailed counter. The petitioner, represented by association President A M Ibrahim Ali, submitted its members had been authorised to deal with passport related services under licence granted by the CPO. However, after the Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) were formed, they had been deprived of carrying on their legitimate business in the Tiruchirappalli passport office. He said the RPO had removed the online IDs alloted to the members on the official website of the passport office which allowed them to file applications on behalf of customers. The Judge said the court could not accept the decision of the RPO to remove the online login IDs allotted to the members of the association suddenly. The petitioner submitted that even under the PSK project, they could be allowed to assit the passport applicants. They also prayed for quashing the circulars of the RPO which deprived the members of the association from carrying out their work.