Ever since its formation in 1983, the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Tiruchi, has, for the first time, met the demand for passport in its jurisdiction because of e-governance, increase in appointments, and concentration on net productivity.
It has achieved zero pendency in the issue of passport obtained through the normal and “tatkal” modes. The number of passports issued this year till date had exceeded the two-lakh mark, Passport Officer K. Balamurugan said. Mr. Balamurugan told presspersons here on Monday steps had been taken to gradually increase the appointments of the applicants at the Passport Seva Kendras in Tiruchi and Thanjavur.
As of now, 1,405 appointments were released every day, he said and added that only 1,000 appointments were booked by the applicants.
The Tiruchi Passport Office, which was started 30 years ago, had met the demand for passport without increasing the staff strength and without compromising on the security features, Mr. Balamurugan said.
The number of passports issued in 2010 (January to December) was 1.15 lakh. This had increased to a little over 2.02 lakh this year till date, he said. Wherever the verification officers suspected the veracity of the documents submitted by the applicants to obtain passport, it was sent to the issuing authority concerned to ascertain its genuineness.
Mr. Balamurugan said passport sought under the “tatkal” mode were issued on the third day itself. A social audit cell had been opened at the RPO to enable applicants know the status of their applications. The process of according instant appointments had been in vogue for the past two months. Plans were afoot to open a Seva Kendra in Puducherry to cater to the applicants of that area, he said.
