E-Paper
Chandigarh: No slots available, passport applicants in a fix
Despite the Passport Seva website releasing 80 appointment slots daily for enquiry at the Regional Passport Office in Sector 34, Chandigarh, all available slots have been fully booked until August 8
Passport applicants in Chandigarh have to go through an excruciating waiting period of several months to obtain an appointment to apply for the document.
Despite the Passport Seva website releasing 80 appointment slots daily for enquiry at the Regional Passport Office in Sector 34, Chandigarh, all available slots have been fully booked until August 8.
The present waiting list for passport appointments at the Passport Seva Kendra in Adarsh Mall, Industrial Area, Phase 2, Chandigarh stretches till September 25. As many as 955 appointments are released for normal applications.
Similarly, the waiting period for normal passport applications at the Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh Camp in Sector 34, Chandigarh, extends until July 5, 2023. A total of 150 appointment slots are made available for booking here.
Appointments for PCC (police clearance certificate) at the Passport Seva Kendra located in Adarsh Mall, Industrial Area, Phase 2, Chandigarh, are currently accessible for July 3. A total of 170 slots have been made available for booking. Similarly, for tatkaal applications, appointments can be secured for August 11, offering a generous 415 slots for individuals in need of expedited services. These details are officially provided on the website.
The significant waiting-in-appointment availability and lower number of slots are causing considerable hardship for individuals seeking passport services. The long waiting periods have led to anger and frustration among the people who are seeking passports.
Sukhjeet Singh, residing in Sector 41, wanted to book an appointment for an enquiry at the passport office. However, he faced disappointment as no slots were available. Despite the passport office’s claim of releasing appointments daily, Sukhjeet had been diligently checking it for the past few days, only to find that there was a delay of 1-3 days before new slots became accessible again. After a week of persistent effort, he has still not managed to secure an appointment.
Sachin Sharma, a resident of Sector 24-C in Chandigarh, have been facing difficulties in obtaining an enquiry appointment. He discovered that certain private agencies were offering the same appointments for a fee of ₹1,000, highlighting the presence of unauthorised practices taking advantage of the appointment scarcity.
Regional Passport Officer Chandigarh, Priyanka Mehtani, and junior officers remained unavailable for comment despite several attempts.
