Chennai: Setting a new record for passports issued, the Regional Passport Office, Chennai issued 3,90,000 passports in 2014. This number exceeded the original target of 3,83,000 passports set by the Ministry of External Affairs for the year. Disclosing this at a press conference, Mr C. Senthil Pandian, Regional Passport Officer, Chennai, said on Wednesday , “We could accomplish the feat due to measures such as Passport Melas, Passport Seva camps and increasing the number of appointment in Passport Seva Kendras.”
This year, six passport melas were conducted, which benefited 6,858 applicants in total. In addition, special passport seva camps were held at Puducherry and Cuddalore in November.
In the past two months, daily appointments at the three PSKs in Aminjikarai, Tambaram and Saligramam were increased from 1,850 to 2,730. The passport office is presently working out the modalities to hold a special camp for advocates and mediapersons, he added.
Mr Pandian also spoke about welfare measures taken for the benefit of the public. “We have installed mobile charging points at all PSKs and Chennai RPO. A library is functioning at Saligramam PSK. Besides, a Facebook account for Chennai RPO is active, providing information relating to passport services,” he said.
Senior citizens, it was pointed out, constituted about 20 per cent of the applicants. “They are given appointments on priority basis and the time taken for them is shortened by about 50 per cent, compared to others,” Mr Pandian said. A mini Passport Seva Kendra will soon be set up in Puducherry. Once opened, this centre will cater to people residing in Puducherry, besides the districts of Cuddalore and Villupuram.
