The new Post Office Passport Seva Kendra set up by the Ministry of External Affairs at the post office in Rasipuram town on May 18 has evoked good response.
This is the first kendra in the industrial district of Namakkal.
According to official sources, except printing and dispatch of passports, the kendra will carry out all other operations such as receiving applications, document verification, fee collection and facilitating further process by sending it to the Regional Passport Office in Coimbatore.
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The passport applicants can schedule an appointment to visit the kendra online.
Applicants of Namakkal district can book their appointments through www.passportindia.gov.in .
G. Sivakumar, Regional Passport Officer, Coimbatore, told reporters here that the Passport Office at Coimbatore issued about 1.75 lakh passports during last year. Passports were being issued in two days under tatkal system.
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Mr. Sivakumar said that the Ministry has simplified various formalities for getting the passport and this has immensely benefited the common man. About 50 appointments will be released for the Rasipuram kendra a day.
While the applications of children will be cleared within four days, the adults will get the passports in 20 days.
He said that a kendra was opened at the Salem Head Post Office last year and about 100 applications were being processed there daily.
About 22,000 applicants of Salemd district got passports from the kendra in Salem so far, he said.