The two day passport mela to address the growing demand and to clear the backlog of passport applications was concluded today. It was organised in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Application for all passports related services other than “tatkaal” were accepted during the mela. A number of applicants rushed to the Passport office to submit their applications. A fee receipt and a file number were given to them , using which the applicant can track the status of the application on website.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry is taking all measures to rectify problems relating to issue of passports in the next few weeks. The Ministry is improving governance in Passport Offices by focussing on citizen-centricity, service orientation and transparency.

According to a Ministry release, it also includes easy availability of a portfolio of on-line services with real-time status tracking and an effective system of grievance redressal. The Ministry has already started Passport Seva Kendras to deliver all Passport-related services to the citizens in a timely, transparent, more accessible, reliable manner and in a comfortable environment. Till date, 77 Passport Sewa Kendras are working across the country.