Passport applications dip by 51%

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 6

Amidst the pandemic and fear of deadly Covid-19 virus, the application count at the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Sector 34, dipped by 50.8 per cent in 2020.

In 2019, the RPO received 7,15,153 applications, which went down to 3,51,771 last year. The number of passports issued by the RPO too have halved this year.

Regional Passport Officer Sibash Kabiraj has accounted travel restrictions and limited appointments after the Unlock 1.0 for the falling numbers.

“During the lockdown period, all appointments were suspended. Though people could apply, only 50 per cent appointments reopened only in May-end. Owing to travel restrictions and the fear of virus, most people dropped their overseas plans,” said Kabiraj.

Back in 2019, the RPO had issued 6,76,359 passports, whereas in 2020 the number dropped to 3,36,476. Interestingly, the Chandigarh RPO, which provides services to 12 districts in Haryana and 11 in Punjab, did not receive even a single application in April, 2020, during the lockdown. “In fact, we have received maximum number of passport applications from Ludhiana,” Kabiraj added.

Also, in 2020, the RPO issued 19,159 police clearance certificates (PCC) and received 18, 741 PCC applications. In all, 99 surrender certificates were also issued in 2020.