From January 2015 to August 2019: 26,77,685 passports against 27,56,198 applications in Chandigarh

The RPO-34 covers 24 districts of Punjab and Haryana and one Union Territory of Chandigarh. Out of 24 districts, 12 are of Haryana and the rest of Punjab.

Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Sibash Kabiraj says, “Every year the number of applications is increasing and passports are being issued against valid applications. We are getting applications from most parts of Punjab and Haryana. The NCR area of Haryana is not under our jurisdiction. We have three Passport Seva Kendras as well: one is in Ambala, second in Ludhiana and another in Chandigarh.”

Subhash Aggarwal, owner of an immigration firm, says, “Possessing a passport does not ensure that the passport holder will go abroad. Having the passport nowadays has become a status symbol too. One of the reasons behind the spike in the number of applications is the easy and smooth process to get a passport. Online submission of passport applications makes it possible for everyone to apply for it.”

Jyoti Parkash, owner of another immigration firm in Sector 34, says, “As per my experience, people of Punjab are more eager to settle in foreign countries than people of Haryana. Seventy per cent of our clients are from Punjab. These days we are receiving a huge number of calls for student visas.”

In Chandigarh, 189 immigration firms were registered. Out of them, as many as 53 immigration firms are situated in Sector 34, which also houses the RPO building. In July this year, Protector of Immigrants had identified 22 immigration firms running illegally in Chandigarh. Most of these firms were booked for duping people on the pretext of sending them abroad.