Hyderabad, Jan 4 : Regional Passport Officer & Head of MEA Branch Secretariat, Hyderabad Dasari Balaiah Today said that the RPO issued 4.42 lakh passports during 2021.

Releasing Annual Report of RPO-Hyderabad, Mr Balaiah said Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad started its functioning in the year 1975 and is continuously rendering passport services in a timely and transparent manner.

Under RPO, Hyderabad there are 4 Passport Seva Kendras, 1 Passport Laghu Seva Kendra and 14 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras spread across Telangana State.

The RPO-Hyderabad had issued 5.54 lakh passports in 2019, 2.93 lakhs in 2020 and 4.42 lakhs in 2021.

During the last year of lockdown, the Passport Services were never stopped and all the emergency passports requirements were attended from RPO, Secunderabad.

Post Lockdown in May 2021, the Passport Offices opened with 50 per cent appointments in June 2021 and later with 75 per cent in August, 2021.

In view of the demand for passports, 100 per cent appointments were released from September 23, 2021. Appointment availability cycle in September, 2021 was 7 working days whereas it increased to 15 working days in the months of October and November, 2021.
To reduce the delay in getting appointments, 200 additional appointment slots per day were released throughout all PSKs in December, 2021 and Passport applicants were attended while following all the COVID –19 appropriate behaviour protocols.

This resulted in immediate dropping of waiting time for Passport appointments at PSKs (Begumpet, Ameerpet, Tolichowki)/PSLK (Karimnagar) to 7-8 working days and to two days in PSK, Nizamabad.

RPO, Hyderabad normally issues Passports within 3 working days under Tatkal Scheme and in 7-10 working days under Ordinary Scheme, a release here said.(UNI)