KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
In its efforts to reach out to the public, Passport Office Srinagar will be conducting passport camps across the Kashmir division. The move is aimed at to ameliorate the difficulties faced by the applicants in reaching to the passport office and in procuring the valid document for travel outside India.
“To begin with we have held the passport camps in Kargil and Leh. This will be followed by other camps in other districts of Kashmir zone,” said Fida Iqbal, passport officer Srinagar.
He said that more than 40,000 passport has been issued this year, which is 5000 passports per month. “The total passport issued since 2012, the year of commissioning of Passport Seva Kendra in Srinagar, are 220000,” he said.
The major problem faced by passport applicants was the long cycle of appointments, which as per Iqbal has been brought down substantially from 40 working days to eight working days.
“Besides, about seven passport melas were held this year during which passport functioned in off days also,’ said the Passport Officer.
He added that the Passport Office facilitated the hassle free crossing at Kaman LoC crossing and Teetwal LoC crossing which remained uninterrupted during the year.
Iqbal said to ease out the process of procuring a passport number of efforts have been taken, which inter alia include relaxation to the students in providing original certificates. “Only the proof of residence of the passport address is sought from the applicants despite having stayed at multiple places in the preceding year,” he said.
The passport office Srinagar was able to reconstruct files of the cases which were damaged in floods, said Iqbal. (KNS)
