Banguluru : The demand for passport-related services has increased as a result of the global uproar over vaccine recognition, resulting in a longer wait time. Passport services have been gradually and partially resumed after the lockdown regulations were lifted in June, according to officials at Bengaluru’s Regional Passport Office (RPO), and have received a large response.
Only 50% of appointments are issued throughout Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office PSKs, according to Regional Passport Officer Bharath Kumar Kuthati.
“The response has been good, and there is lot of waiting time now. People are forced to wait for 10 days for an appointment. Unfortunately, we have to cater only to half due to COVID-19 norms. For instance, we used to have 1,600 appointments in the Lalbagh PSK, but now we are giving only 800,” he said.
Mr. Kuthati explained that reasons for the high demand are many: “For almost 1.5 years, services have been impacted. All those citizens whose passports have expired, were looking for the opportunity to renew them, which is the main reason. In addition, academic sessions are starting abroad, contributing to the demand. Those who generally want a passport too are taking appointments,” he said.
Services were severely impacted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions, resulting in the Bengaluru RPO issuing only half the normal number of passports, and related services.
For those who wish, the Central government has facilitated the option of linking their passport number with their vaccination status by registering the number as the ID on the COWIN portal.
“If you’re travelling abroad, the country you’ll be visiting should be aware that you’ve been vaccinated. Only by linking through the passport can this be achieved,” Mr. Kuthati explained.
