Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Passport Cell to start functioning tomorrow

By Our Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram Dec. 28 . The District Passport Cell, being set up jointly by the Union and Kerala Governments to issue passports without any delay to the applicants hailing from three taluks of the capital district and to keep touts and agents at bay, will start functioning from December 30.

Passport applicants residing in Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad and Chirayankil taluks can henceforth approach the computerised cell, which has been set up in the office of the Superintendent of Police (Rural) at Kowdiar, to submit the duly filled applications.

The applications with the supporting documents and a demand draft of Rs. 1,000 payable to the Regional Passport Officer, Thiruvananthapuram, submitted in person by the applicant will be forwarded immediately from the cell after police verification to the Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) and to the Passport office.

The passport cell will function under the Superintendent of Police (Rural), while the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) will be the Nodal Officer.

The Rural SP, Balram Kumar Upadhyaya, said besides discouraging touts, the new procedure would help avoid the two-week delay that normally occurs in completing the police verification of applicants from rural areas. "The Special branch will immediately conduct the mandatory police verification and forward the application to the passport office," the SP told The Hindu.

As is being done at present, the applicants from Thiruvananthapuram taluk would have to submit their applications to the Regional Passport Office functioning at Kaithamukku.

The cell will not accept applications submitted by agents and touts. The applicants have to submit the originals of the date of birth and proof of residence for verification along with the passport application.

The cell will function in the room adjacent to the SP's room on the first floor of the Rural SP's office.

A Sub-Inspector and four Head Constables attached to the cell have been given training in the passport office to accustom them with the formalities.

The procedures to be followed while filling and submitting the application has been displayed in English and Malayalam. A temporary shed will be set up on the office premises for the benefit of the applicants who are expected in large numbers.

The passport cell in the district is among the eight new cells being set up in the State by the Government at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.10 crores to avoid the hassles faced by the applicants. Already, six district cells are functioning in the State.

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