TRICHY: Passport applicants have more reason to cheer now.
Henceforth, applications for passport-related matters can be filed
online at the kiosks set up at select post offices in the central region
of Tamil Nadu. The step is to prevent private agents from exploiting
the public who collect exorbitant charges. The facility, said to be the
first-of-its-kind in the country would start from February 10.
The regional passport office (RPO), Trichy region entered into an
agreement with post master general, central region to open a kiosk at
head post offices in the region. A postal staff at the kiosk will
process the online application for passport-related matters. "With a
view to ensure hassle-free process to the passport applicants, the new
system of applying for passport at post offices is going to be started
in the central region with the help of the postal department. It will
surely help make the online application perfect so that it cannot be
rejected at the time of procession in the passport seva kendras," K
Balamurugan, RPO, Trichy told TOI.
Balamurugan also said the people who do not have access to the internet in rural areas can make use of the facility.
The head post offices in Trichy, Lalgudi, Srirangam, Thuraiyur,
Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Kulithalai, Kumbakonam, Melakaveri,
Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pattukottai,
Thiruthuraipoondi, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Papanasam, Mannargudi,
Vriddhachalam, Koviloor, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore and Chidambaram would
have the facility.
In Trichy, the facility will be available at the sub-post offices in
Golden Rock, Teppakulam and Fort. People can make use of the facility
from 9am to 3pm in head post offices and from 10 am to 3pm in sub-post
offices on all working days.
The applicant has to pay Rs 100 per application in the post offices
except in Trichy district. The postal department has agreed to render
the service for Rs 70 per application in the post offices in Trichy.
However, some of the unauthorised online passport application centres
are allegedly charging Rs 200 to Rs 300 per application. On the other
hand, the applications filled in at those centres had a lot of mistakes
which led to their rejection at the PSKs.
The passport office provided training to the 35 postal staff who will
be handing the application filing process. The rest of the process
after filing the application will be carried out in the PSK as usual.
VIA.sapost.blogspot.in
