Pune registers sharp rise in passport applications with number of applicants increasing by 69,000

According to officials, in the recent five years, maximum number of passports with a total of 3, 42, 503 passports were issued in the last year till December 2017 which is the highest in the recent few years.

Pun e: A few years earlier getting a passport was considered to be one of the most difficult tasks. However owing to the technological advancements along with various initiatives taken by the regional passport office in Pune, the number of passport applicants in the city has risen by 69 thousand applicants.

People wait at the passport office at Mundhwa on Friday. (Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

Official spokesperson of the Pune passport office said, “Making a passport was perhaps considered equal to scaling up a big mountain until recent few years. However, with the technological advancements and the increase in the accessibility of the passport office for common citizens, the number of passport applicants has seen a significant rise over the years.”

According to the official, in the recent five years, maximum number of passports with a total of 3, 42, 503 passports were issued in the last year till December 2017 which is the highest in the recent few years.

He said, “Not only we have worked on increasing the technological advancements thus expediting the speed of the process, but also the number of passport centres in the Pune division has increased. Currently, at about 12 different places in the Pune region, we have passport centres that are operational. With the rise in the accessibility, citizens have exhibited larger interest in applying for passports” said the official.

Another senior passport official requesting anonymity said, “Earlier, the applicant had to wait for the 15 days to get an appointment after filing the application. However, now post the application is filed, the appointment is given in next three days. This is one of the major pro consumer achievement for us.”

According to official, in the current year starting from March 12 to July 17, we have issued over 1,55,252 passports. Last year’s record of issuing over three lakhs passports is the highest in the last 15 years. Our aim is to achieve zero pendency in the Pune regional passport office.”

Year: 2015

Passport Applications: 2, 89, 560

Passports Issued: 2,79, 000

Year: 2016

Passport Applications: 2, 78, 160

Passports Issued: 2, 73, 373

Year: 2017

Passport Applications: 3, 58, 132

Passports Issued: 3, 52, 506