Daijiworld Media Network—Bangalore (RD/CN)
 
Bangalore, Oct 27: The regional passport office (RPO) has taken several measures to facilitate speedy processing of applications, said R Ravindra, regional passport officer, on Sunday October 26.
 
He was speaking at a discussion meet held here on Sunday, organized by the Karnataka Commerce and Industry. The RPO has put in certain measures to speed up the delivery of passports to applicants.  www.rpobangalore.gov.in  has been upgraded with both English and Kannada for the benefit of passport-seekers helping them know the status of their applications.

Applicants can send in their requests by e-mail. Those who are required to visit the RPO, can get tokens on touch screen kiosks at the RPO premises. Voice mail facility has been set up to register passport-related complaints, and also provides replies to additional requirements or objections.  Passport ‘adalats’ were held here and at Mangalore.  Passport camps were held in IT, BT, and Bar Associations, said Ravindra.
 
Jumbo passports of 67 pages will be issued with an additional fee of Rs 500, to businessmen and industrialists who travel overseas frequently.  Tatkal facility will also be available, he informed.
 
The various issues of RPO here are nearly resolved. A shelter has been erected for the benefit of passport-seekers who have to wait in queue. Drinking water facility has also been provided. Special tokens are issued to senior citizens and pregnant women, thereby sparing them long queues. Disciplinary action will be taken against staff based on genuine complaints from applicants or authorized agents, he added.
 
Around 50 lac passports were issued from RPOs across the country, of which 2.79 lac were issued here, emphasized Ravindra. The issue of late police verification has also been taken up with the police department and a passport adalat is held every Wednesday, he added.