New Indian Express

Mangalore, Jul 23: Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the Centre to start a full-fledged Regional Passport Office (RPO) before the end of financial year.

KCCI vice-president Kumble Narasimha Prabhu in a letter to Union Minister of External Affairs E Ahamed stated that KCCI had identified a few office spaces in city for the proposed RPO. Drawing minister’s attention to the letters written by KCCI since 2000 and assurances made by the ministry in February 2001, he said External Affairs Ministry should fulfill the aspirations of twin districts by setting up a full-fledged passport office in Mangalore.

Kumble in the letter, released to media, explained that many states in the country had two or more passport offices, but Karnataka had only one passport office in Bangalore. ‘‘More than 60 per cent of applications received in Bangalore passport office are from DK and Udupi districts,’’ he informed.

Highlighting the inconveniences faced by the public, he said single women with infants and young girls were forced to travel to Bangalore in order to obtain a passport on emergency or clarify official queries related to the application. Prabhu also stressed that many corporate offices earning huge foreign exchange to India like Infosys, MRPL, MCF, L&T, KIOCL and Mangalore Special Economic Zone in the city would feel relieved if a regional passport office is opened in Mangalore.