Hyderabad, August 21: The sight of long queues at the Regional Passport Office are not new to the city. However, it has been revealed that the Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad is likely to be upgraded in order to facilitate speedier processing of applications.
While the existing system was partially computerised, under the present system, all applications procedures, from payment of fees at the counter to the actual dispatch of the approved passports would receive the aid of computer automation.
In this connection, the Regional Passport Officer, Srinivas Gotru met with a delegation of members from the International Trade and Relations Committee of FAPCCI to explain the current system in place. Incidentally, the Passport Office is reportedly working at a capacity, where clearances are being made to the tune of around 3 lakh passports every year, with roughly 30,000 passports per month being approved from the Passport Office. Various trade bodies and stakeholders, specifically in the travel and tourism sector had been appealing to the RPO to ensure faster processing of applications. The primary reason that was being cited for the plea was the losses faced particularly by the international trade and travel sectors for business and leisure travel related activities.
Sources indicated that the Passport Office in this regard would be expanding services to key points of trade and commerce in the State through the course of the next year. Three e-seva centres in Hyderabad, Vizag and Vijayawada would be operational by 2010, so that the applicants can submit their applications, which would be processed within approximately 45 minutes. Though figures seemed to be rather optimistic, given the current pace of releasing passports, trade officials expressed hope in noting that with the upgraded systems in place, “the passports could be issued in less than a week’s time. However, the routine investigation and verification procedures by the Police would be effective, and could extend the time of actual release of the passport further.
—Agencies