Nepal MRPs to be introduced by June

Kathmandu, Apr 3 (ANI): The Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said Machine Readable Passports (MRP) would be issued by the end of June.

Issuing a press statement, the ministry said:" The date for introducing the MRPs has been extended for three months. The MRPs will be introduced within June 2010."

The ministry said aspirants can fill up the application form and the passport will be distributed on the basis of priority.

As per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) deadline, the MRPs ought to be issued from April 1. However, the government failed to meet the deadline as controversies arose while awarding the contract to print the MRPs.

The government recently awarded the MRP printing contract to the Indian government-owned Security Printing and Minting Corporation, without bidding process.

As per the deal, Nepal will procure four million MRPs, the current size of handwritten passport holders within three years.

It will take at least two months for the Indian firm to deliver the first consignment of MRPs to Nepal government, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)