NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs was issuing approximately 10 lakh passports per month on an average before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Thursday.
He also underlined that they are hopeful of resuming the work in full steam and reach the pre-pandemic level in due course as the economy reopens.
Speaking at the inauguration of the renovated premises of Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad, Muraleedharan said 517 passport seva kendras, including 424 Post Office Passport, across the country provide passport services.
"As a result of the increased capacity, the MEA had been issuing on an average, approximately 10 lakh passports per month before the pandemic struck. We are hopeful of resuming our work in full steam and reach the pre-pandemic level in due course as our economy reopens," he said in a statement.
He said many anachronistic provisions were done away with and the complex documentation requirements were either removed or simplified to ease the difficulties faced by passport applicants.
"Thanks to these reforms, today, single parents, orphan and destitute children can easily apply and get passports, which was so difficult if not unthinkable for them before," Muraleedharan said.