Regional passport office, Pune, aims to lower yearly fine revenue from ₹2 crore to zero - Hindustan Times
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Regional passport office, Pune, aims to lower yearly fine revenue from 2 crore to zero

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByParth Welankar
Nov 22, 2018 03:42 PM IST

Special drives are conducted highlighting common mistakes made while applying for passport.

Mistakes made by citizens while filing passport applications have become a major reason for revenue generation for the regional passport office in Pune which has an annual revenue of more than 2 crore.

The Pune region of the passport office serves a total of 12 districts from western Maharashtra and Marathwada. Here, people are seen waiting in the regional passport office on SB road in Pune.(HT PHOTO)
The Pune region of the passport office serves a total of 12 districts from western Maharashtra and Marathwada. Here, people are seen waiting in the regional passport office on SB road in Pune.(HT PHOTO)

“Mistakes made by citizens while filing up forms for passports has led to fines which cannot be waived off,” said Anant Takwale,regional passport officer, Pune.

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“We are compelled to impose fines on mistakes such as giving wrong information about date of birth, education qualifications etc. All the passport applicants are informed well in advanced that mistakes in applications will lead to fines. However, instructions are not being taken seriously. said Takwale.  

In the year 2018 (so far), the average fine collected per month from all the passport offices in Pune division is 17, 60,000. The amount generated in 2017 through fine imposed is 2, 11, 20, 000.

The Pune region of the passport office serves a total of 12 districts from western Maharashtra and Marathwada. It initially had a jurisdiction over six districts in western Maharashtra — Pune, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. In November 2017, six additional districts — Latur, Osmanabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Jalna and Beed — were added to the Pune regional passport office’s jurisdiction. 

In its bid to create awareness amongst citizens about fines, the regional passport office in Pune has conducted various special drives in the city and brought to light the most common made mistakes. 

“We have set an ambitious target of reducing the number of people being fined to zero. We plan to achieve it by creating better awareness among people. It is important for people to realise that there is no point in hiding or giving wrong information to us. The verification systems in our offices are hi-tech and modernised and it is impossible to hide things from the authorities,” Tawde said.

He added, “Also, people must realise that ultimately, they are the only sufferers. The teams in the passport offices are willing to help them resolve all their complications. I urge people to not commit mistakes, so that they can avoid fine.”

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