Chandigarh: Over 8 lakh passport applications processed in 2023, highest in 4 yrs

Chandigarh, December 17

The Regional Passport Office (RPO) here this year processed the highest number of passport applications in the last four years.

The number of applications granted till date this year by the RPO is 8,22,672, a substantial increase from 3,52,601 in the year 2020. A total number of 4,90,578 applications were granted in the year 2021 and 7,38,349 in the subsequent year.

To clear the application processing backlog caused due to the Covid pandemic, the passport office undertook special drives on Saturdays, deployed four mobile vans and opened additional counters at the RPO, said Regional Passport Officer Priyanka Mehtani.

Currently, there are three Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and 12 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) operating under the Chandigarh RPO.

“Since the deployment of mobile vans in the middle of this year, we have been able to process about 500 applications a day. This has resulted in the availability of tatkal appointments the very next day, which earlier took at least 30 days,” added Mehtani.

Tatkal appointments available next day

Since the deployment of mobile vans in the middle of this year, we have been able to process about 500 applications a day. This has resulted in the availability of tatkal appointments the very next day, which earlier took at least 30 days. —Priyanka Mehtani, Regional passport officer

During the pandemic, government offices were operating with 50 per cent staff which resulted in a backlog that was gradually cleared by outsourcing of the work related to data collection and biometrics to Tata Consultancy Services. The fiduciary functions like the verification and granting of passports, however, had been retained by the Ministry of External Affairs, she added.