Regional Passport Officer Dr K Srikar Reddy on Thursday announced that the department would receive passport applications at 263 eSeva centres across the State from August 1.
Talking to media persons at Regional Passport Office in Secunderabad, Srikar Reddy said that the eSeva centres would charge Rs 150 per application including the charges for the Police Clearance Certificate. He said that eSeva applicants have to walk in interview at one of the three passport centres located in Hyderabad from morning 9 to 11am without any prior appointment and could get their documents verified with the officials concerned.
Stating that the office has been receiving about 2,500 applications per day, he said that the Passport Kendriya Centres have been charging Rs 550 per application. In order to reduce pressure on online appointments and smoothen submission of applications, he said that the applicants may be allowed to submit their duly registered applications with AEN number as Walk-In categories.
The RPO said that about 30,000 applications were pending with the passport office, mainly due to police clearance. He said that more than 20,000 passport applications files have been closed upto July 1, 2011 due to various reasons and the applicants have been asked to apply afresh. He said that mini-passport seva Centre would also be opened shortly.
Director EDS (eSeva) Dr K Gopinatha said that 263 eSeva centres would be operated for receiving the passport applications. He said that about 4,000 eSeva centres would be given permission in rural areas to receive passport applications.
–Agencies