The Regional Passport Office, Chennai, has recently launched a public announcement system on its premises to assist people with grievances and guide them on to the Social Audit Cell.
The cell that was started early this year to help applicants get information regarding their passports initially didn’t have too many takers; hence, a public announcement system was brought in to let people know that such a cell exists, Regional Passport Officer K. Balamurugan said.
“Many people didn’t initially know that this cell was present to help them. But after this public announcement system came into place, the cell is beginning to pick up now. We get a lot of illiterate applicants who may not know who to approach and how to seek assistance; this system is primarily launched to help them,” he added.
Currently, the cell receives queries from at least 25 applicants everyday. Most often, the cases that come to the cell pertain to the loss of passport, officials noted.
The announcement — a recorded message in Tamil — is played at the office and takes applicants through every step on how they can get information and their grievances redressed.
“Also, applicants should know that if they have visited the office thrice and still have not managed to get their grievance cleared, they can just approach me directly. This information is also provided in the announcement system,” Mr. Balamurugan added. Applicants can reach the Regional Passport Office, Chennai in the following numbers:18002581800/
28513640/28518848/
28513639/28513641/
28513575.
