M'lore: City Passport Collection Centre Shifted to Old District HQ Block
Report from Robert D'Costa
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD)
Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Mangalore, Feb 25: The passport collection centre of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), located in the campus of district headquarters, till Saturday February 2 was shifted to Old district administration block on Monday February 25.
P Ravindra, Regional Passport Officer (RPO) from Bangalore, inaugurated the office in a simple ceremony, on Monday morning.
The passport collection centre was initially set up near the treasury department which was now shifted to Old district administration block, due to space constraint both for the passport seekers and office staff. The new facility was long awaited including a full-pledged passport office in the district headquarter, owing to the growing number of passport seekers to find overseas jobs and migrate to western countries, where they have kith and kin.
Sharanappa, superintendent of Passport collection centre, speaking to daijiworld.com, said that it was a long felt need as the passport seekers had to wait in long queues bearing the weather. Hence, the new office located within the campus has better facilities and definitely spacious than the earlier one.
The passport collection centre has a superintendent and other staff who would verify the passport applications received from people across the Dakshina Kannada (DK) district and issues the receipt and forwards the same to RPO, Bangalore. It issues the passports after cross checking the passport applications and dispatches the passport directly to the respective applicant. Meanwhile, RPO awaits for the police enquiry papers from the police station where the passport applicant domiciled. RPO reverts to the passport applicants, seeking explanation for any change of address, domicile status, marital status etc. Therefore, it takes nearly 30 to 45 days to get the passports in individual cases while under 'Tatkal scheme' wherein the applicant has to provide appointment letter of overseas company and personally submit at RPO, Bangalore to get the passport within 15 to 20 days.
Moreover, with the setting up of new office of passport collection centre, the DK populace can expect better facilities and full-pledged Passport office in the nearest future.