The two day passport mela to address the growing demand and to clear the backlog of passport applications concluded this evening. 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. Applications were accepted only in person and not through any third party.

After thorough inspection, applications with a self-attested copy of each required documents along with requisite fee and recent colour photograph with white background, were accepted. A fee receipt was issued and file number allocated, 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 focusing 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.