In an effort to streamline the Passport Delivery System in the state, Acting Passport Officer L Madan Kumar Reddy announced a slew of measures here on Wednesday.
As per the instructions from the Ministry of External Affairs, appointments for the four Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) under the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Bangalore, will be released at 6.30 pm instead of 6 pm from May 23.
“Nearly 28,000 appointments will be generated at 6.30 pm on May 23. Also, the appointments will be released 21 days earlier (for 25 per cent of the appointments) in seven-day cycles instead of the present three-day and two-day cycles,” said Reddy. He said a total of 1,660 appointments are being released at present across all the PSKs.
Besides, tatkal applicants will now be allowed under walk-in category starting from May 23, he said. They do not have to visit the passport back office for an appointment and can directly walk in to the nearest PSK with Application Reference Numbers between 9.30 am and 11 am, he said.
Reddy said applicants who need passports immediately for educational, medical or visa interviews can approach the RPO or any PSK in the state. “Along with a proof of urgency, these applicants can come in between 10 am and 12 pm on working days. They will be issued out of turn walkin appointments to submit their applications on a priority basis in any PSK,” he said.
Passport Mela
The RPO Bangalore is conducting a ‘Passport Mela’ across PSKs in the state on June 8. It is an appointment-based mela for which appointments will be released on June 1. Applicants with a printout of the appointment receipt can report at the respective PSKs with valid documents. However, walkin categories and Tatkal applicants based on verification certificates/Annexure-F confirmation are not allowed to apply at the mela. The RPO will also organise a Passport Adalat at Bangalore’s RPO to address grievances of passport applicants with cases more than six months old on May 29.