Pune: Demand for tatkal passport down as wait gets shorter

According to Atul Gotsurve, Regional Passport Officer in Pune, the tatkal slots, which used to fill within minutes of opening at noon, remain unfilled till the evening on many days.

“It’s a good indicator of how passport availability has increased. People are now confident about getting a passport without having to pay extra. About a year ago, one had to wait for at least 20 days to a month to get an appointment under normal slots, forcing many to opt for tatkal service,” said Gotsurve.

This, officials at the Regional Passport Office say, is a result of their sustained efforts. The RPO has held 28 to 30 passport camps so far, each having 1,100 to 1,400 slots. It also conducted a camp at Passport Office at Senapati Bapat Road and Maha Camp at Aundh.

Prajakta Pachorekar (23), who stays off Kusalkar Road received her passport three days ago. She said she needed her passport within a month as she had to submit the same for her International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

“I was planning to approach an agent, but a friend of mine advised me to undertake the process myself and assured me that I would get it well within a month even if I applied under normal category. I did the same and within 20 days, the passport reached my office. Most of these 20 days were taken by the police verification as they had to verify my temporary as well as permanent addresses,” she said.

According to Gotsurve, the reduced passport cycle has also dissuaded many from falling in the trap of touts.

Passport Adalat on November 4

The RPO in Pune will be holding a Passport Adalat on November 4 at its premises on Senapati Bapat Road. Entry time for the Adalat will be from 10 am to 1 pm, only with prior appointment.

The Adalat will try and process applications which have been pending for long due to various reasons such as non-submission of documents, submission of false information, criminal record of the applicant, discrepancies in birth certificates and non-disclosure of a previous passport.

An applicant will have to secure an appointment before October 30 by writing an email to passportadalat@gmail.com or a postal letter to RPO at Senapati Bapat Road.