Pune RPO achieves distinction of issuing 3.44 lakh passports in 2022
The increase in the number of passports issued is due to citizen-centric initiatives such as tatkal appointments, ease of document processing, and keeping the passport office open on all four Saturdays
The Regional Passport Office (RPO) Pune has issued a record-breaking 3.44 lakh passports in 2022, up from the 2.31 lakh passports issued in 2021. The increase in the number of passports issued is due to citizen-centric initiatives such as tatkal appointments, ease of document processing, and keeping the passport office open on all four Saturdays of the month to cater to citizens’ needs. While the RPO had to reduce the number of passport appointments in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Baner, Solapur and Mundhwa offices bore the burden of rising passport applications with the lifting of sanctions post Covid.
The Pune RPO caters to 12 districts, and 17 post offices were kept open for passport application-related work which brought the desired result of quick disbursal of passports. The main headquarters is located in Baner and two sub-regional offices are operational at Solapur and Mundhwa. Besides, passport seva kendras are operational in Ahmednagar, Baramati, Beed, Ichalkaranji, Jalna, Kolhapur, Latur, Mada, Nanded, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Sangli, Satara, Shirur and Shrirampur. According to the passport office, any applicant can log into the official website, submit the relevant documents, and get an appointment.
Regional passport officer Dr Arjun Deore said, “We are making all efforts to ensure that citizens get their passports at the earliest. For that, we have increased the number of passport seva kendras. If the documents are in place, citizens can get a passport at their doorstep in the shortest possible time. For 2022, we have given one lakh additional passports to citizens and brought a smile to the faces of hundreds of applicants due to early delivery of passports.”
Deore said that they took care when it came to applications of those who had criminal cases lodged against them. “We got strict court permission when it comes to the issuance of such passports. If the court has given permission, only then the passports are issued and that too after due verification of the background. Also, those applicants who had submitted incomplete documents are given a period of one year for completion of their pending work,” he said.