Land identified for Regional Passport Office in Coimbatore

It will come up on Corporation property near Collectorate

Officials of the Ministry of External Affairs have identified land in Coimbatore for setting up a Regional Passport Office.

Regional Passport Officer, Chennai, Sumathi Ravichandran, said the office would come up on a property owned by the Corporation near the Collectorate.The State Government has agreed to construct the office on a 12,000 sq. ft area. The work would be completed within three months from the date of commencement.

The RPO said the rush for applying for passports under the `tatkal' scheme had subsided with the end of summer holidays.

The authorities were now able to complete renewal of passports under the normal category in 12 days. Earlier, this took more than a month and a half.

The RPO said fresh passport applications could be submitted to District Passport Centres functioning at the Deputy Commissioner of Police office at Adyar, Anna Nagar and Flower Bazaar.

Those applying for passports under the `tatkal' category could attach any of the following documents to prove their identity: electors photo identity card, freedom fighter card, arms licence, property documents such as pattas and registered deeds, ration card or bank/kisan/post office passbook. Those with any of these documents need not wait for police verification. Passport officials would do a post-issuance verification, she said.

Last year, the RPO authorities received 37,600 passport applications under the `tatkal' category and issued 37,400 passports. Till May 31 this year 26,100 applications were received under the scheme and nearly 25,000 passports issued.

source :www.the hindu