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Chandigarh: Applicants’ wait for passport gets longer
Applicants highlighted the lack of proper seating arrangements at the Regional Passport Office, where they are compelled to wait outside the office premises
Despite having scheduled appointments, passport applicants at the Regional Passport Office in Sector 34 are allegedly compelled to endure lengthy waits, with no seating arrangements and unorganised system adding to their inconvenience.
Applicants highlighted the lack of proper seating arrangements at the Regional Passport Office, where they are compelled to wait outside the office premises. Additionally, they expressed frustration as their turns do not align with the scheduled appointments, causing further inconvenience.
Amandeep Singh, a passport renewal applicant at RPO, shared that he and his father arrived at the office around 11 am, adhering to their scheduled appointment. However, despite waiting for over two hours, their turn did not arrive, leading them to wait outside the building.
Jyoti, a visitor seeking a renewal of passport of her daughter, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of an organised system at RPO. She contrasted this with the Industrial Area Passport Seva Kendra, where she mentioned that a proper system is followed, making it the preferred choice for many.
Another applicant Amit Kumar at RPO expressed, “I visited for a name change on my passport, specifically to add my surname. However, my turn was initially delayed, and after waiting for approximately one and a half hours, when my turn finally came, they marked my application as pending leaving me clueless what to do.”
When enquired about the issue, regional passport officer Priyanka Mehtani said, “We would request applicants to come 15 minutes prior to their appointment as per slot mentioned on their appointment sheet. This will help us in processing appointments with greater efficiency. We have sufficient seating space inside the premises, and request applicants to utilise that space.”
Mobile vans for passport applications coming soon
Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh, in September, did a trial for passport applications on four stationed mobile vans in Sector 34. These vans will be stationed across the city in future.
According to passport office authorities the service will significantly reduce the lengthy waiting times for securing appointments to initiate passport applications. The entire process, including fingerprint taking or photo clicking, will be done on these vehicles.
Once an appointment is secured through the Passport Seva portal, applicants can opt for the nearby stationed vans rather than physically visiting the passport offices in Industrial Area, Phase I, and Sector 34. Trained staff on these vehicles will handle the entire application process.
RPO Mehtani mentioned that “Tatkaal appointments, which were previously available after a month, are now accessible the next day. This improvement is attributed to measures taken by the ministry of external affairs, including the expansion of appointments at all Passport Seva Kendras and the introduction of innovative methods such as mobile vans and camp Passport Seva Kendra at RPO, Sector 34.”
RPO Chandigarh released 300 appointments for enquiry and all dates are booked till January 1, 2024. For normal passport applications 160 appointment are released and all dates are booked till December 1.
At Passport Seva Kendra in Industrial Area Phase II, 1,075 appointments are available for regular passports, with all slots booked until January 8, 2024. For tatkaal, 415 appointments have been released, and all dates are booked until November 28. Additionally, 50 appointments have been released for PCC, and all dates are booked until December 12.
