Passport applications can be given at AP post offices: Official

Hyderabad, June 26 (UNI) Passport applications can now be submitted at 100 select post office or even to district superintendents of police (SP) in Andhra Pradesh, Regional Passport Officer (RPO) B Bala Bhaskar today said.

This was part of several measures taken by the Regional Passport Office here to help applicants get passports quickly, he told a press conference here.

The postal staff had been imparted training to handle the applications, Mr Bhaskar said and advised applicants from districts to submit the forms at District SP's office as it would help in faster processing since the applications would be accompanied by police verification report.

The RPO said officials like Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO and Station House Officer (SHO), too, could issue verification certificates along with officials from All India Services for applying under Tatkal.

Mr Bhaskar said steps had been taken to issue fresh passports in 18 to 23 days if the applicant completed the formalities and submitted the required documents.

The RPO here, which was ISO-9001 certified, was the biggest in the country in terms of passports issued.

The office issued four lakh passports last year and every day they were giving around 1,800 to 2,000 passports.

While there was 30 per cent staff shortage for the last two years the input had doubled, he added. Despite shortage of staff the office was taking best efforts to render good service to the applicants.

The RPO had also taken measures to ensure that any application accepted at the counter was complete in all respects.

He said the committee constituted to review all files in which objections had been raised would re-examine them within the framework of latest circulars and guidelines.

Besides holding Passport Adalats to clear grievances, the office also conducted a major awareness campaign at Nizamabad and Anantapur on passport-related issues with the cooperation of the district officials, he said.

UNI