Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Dec 4: The Regional Passport Office (RPO) and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Goa have confirmed their readiness with records of Goans who have surrendered their Indian passports, supporting the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) ongoing drive to cleanse the State’s voter list.

Officials noted that the information has been compiled as per existing procedures and will be shared once the CEO formally requests it. The FRRO also emphasised that the records will undergo verification before being submitted to the election authorities. Sources indicated that assistance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs could be sought to ensure more comprehensive data.

The exercise aims to identify individuals who have given up Indian citizenship — often for Portuguese nationality — but continue to remain on the electoral roll. At present, there is no system that automatically alerts election officials when a person surrenders an Indian passport.

CEO Sanjay Goel recently acknowledged this gap, stating that steps are being taken to secure accurate information from both FRRO and RPO to ensure such names are removed from the rolls.
Available FRRO data shows fluctuating trends in passport surrenders — 3,875 cases in 2015, peaking at 4,139 in 2016 before seeing a gradual decline over the next two years. A steep fall was recorded in 2022 with just 1,265 cases, but the number rose again to 2,094 in 2023.

Since 2015, around 26,000 Goans have surrendered their Indian passports, according to official figures.

The coordinated verification exercise marks a critical step in strengthening electoral integrity as Goa prepares for future elections.