The common service centres of the Regional Passport Office help residents in rural areas fill up passport applications and book appointments, said C. Senthil Pandian, regional passport officer, on Wednesday.
The centres have been functioning in Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri are among the backward districts in the State, and they fall under the Chennai region, said Mr. Pandian.
The external affairs ministry had set a target of 3.83 lakh passports for the Chennai region in 2014. However, the Chennai office surpassed the target and issued 3.90 lakh passports in that period.
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This was achieved by increasing appointments and by organising passport melas and seva camps, said Mr. Pandian.