Tamil Nadu

Passport office shift to be recommended

TIRUCHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs would recommend the relocation of the Tiruchi Regional Passport Office to a spacious building, its chairperson and MP Laxminarayan Pandey said here on Tuesday.

As the office is functioning from a commercial building in a congested area, search is on for a suitable site for a new officein the city.

“We would recommend it (the relocation) to the Parliament,” Dr.Pandey told reporters after leading an inspection of the Passport Office by the committee members here.

The issue was discussed at length at a review meeting held by the committee later.

Expressing satisfaction with the functioning of the Office, he appreciated the systems put in place for expeditious issue of passports.

MPs S.P.Singh Baghel, P.C.Gaddigoudar, Somabhai G.Patel, M.Shivanna, Valalzawma, Madhu Goud Yashki and Bharatkumar B.Raut were the other committee members who conducted the inspection along with Dr.Pandey.

R.Swaminathan, Joint Secretary, and Chief Passport Officer and other officials accompanied the committee members.

S. Balachandran, Regional Passport Officer, briefed the committee members on the steps taken for quick issue of passports, including the online system of filing applications, the token system at the office and other applicant-friendly measures.

The committee members also heard the representations of some applicants.

At the review meeting held later, the committee members discussed issuance of passports and police verification certificates.

Senior police officials led by Karan Singha, Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, Pramod Kumar, City Police Commissioner, and A.Kaliyamurthy, Superintendent of Police, Tiruchi Rural, attended the meeting.

Principal Chief Post Master General Indira Krishnakumar and Postmaster General, Central Region, S.P.Rajalingam were present.

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