Police and CID verfication delay passport issuance in Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 11 (UNI) The Regional Passport Office (RPO) here has issued more than 12,000 passports while an equal number was still pending, officials said.

They said the RPO has issued 12,883 passports during the current year upto the end of November.

During the same period, the office has received 14,718 new passport applications.

The officials said the office has also issued 178 passports under 'Tatkaal' category this year.

However, 12,295 cases are pending in the office.

''Most of the cases are still pending because of delay in police and CID verification,'' the officials said.

People alleged that the introduction of 'Tatkaal' category by the External Affairs Ministry to issue passports in the country has benefited only a few, mostly influential people.

They said elsewhere in the country, it just takes a few weeks to get a passport while in the Kashmir valley, it take months together.

UNI