BENGALURU: The Regional Passport Office in Bengaluru can issue passports within two to three hours in case of emergency, said Regional Passport Officer Bharath Kumar Kuthati on Wednesday. He was responding to a query from a participant during an interactive session organised at the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) at its premises. Kuthati said, “We can issue a passport even within two to three hours in case of a genuine emergency. It has been done many times.”
Explaining the procedure, the Officer said that the applicant needed to accept whatever appointment is provided online and visit the passport office on any day along with required documents. “You just need to approach the reception and explain that it is an emergency. A Deputy Passport Officer will be made available immediately to help,” he added.
Another major change introduced is that one need not come to one’s hometown for getting a passport. “A bengalurean can apply for a passport even at the Delhi passport office. The passport will have the Delhi RPO signature but will be issued to the Bengaluru address.”
A mini-secretariat of the Ministry of External Affairs is being created in all state capitals, he said. “The RPO in Koramangala will house it here.” Kuthati said the verification process has been simplified enormously of late. “There is no need for the police to visit homes or ask public to come to the station since July 1. Instead of nine questions, the police had to ask an individual earlier, only three need to be asked now. They only need to cross check if the individual has any criminal record and if he or she is an Indian citizen,” he stressed.