The external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj is keen on widening it’s grip in the country in 2017. The ministry raised the bar in 2016 after breaking the record of maximum number of passports in a year.
The ministry is now eyeing on more passport camps and Passport Seva Kendras in the state of Rajasthan.
A slew of Passport centers will be opened across the state. Jhunjhunu, Jaisalmer and Jhalawar will get Passport Seva Kendra at the post offices. The lake city, Udaipur will also get a new passport office by April End.
Jhunjhunu will get a new post office passport centre. It will be inaugurated on April 2. Jaisalmer will get a similar passport centre on April 3. Likewise, Jhalawar will get a passport centre on April 12.
“When I joined I knew that the offices which make less than 2.50 lakh passports in a year come under the category of B-class. Thus, aiming at getting A-class status we organised various camps and made the process friendly and easier,” Vivek Jeph, regional passport officer said, who has witnessed the now and then of passport offices.
“In 2014 the number of passports issued in Rajasthan was 2.52 lakh which was followed by 3.10 lakh in 2015 and in 2016 we had issued 3.15 lakh passports that shows our commitment towards passport applicants,” he added.
“It is often seen that touts operating in many districts fool the uneducated rural villagers who are seeking passports while aiming at working at various countries,” Jeph hinted at the bogus passport makers who earn good money for issuing fake passports.
Gyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, ministry of external affairs has been closely watching this development .
Notably, many Indians including Rajasthanis were empowered and socially connected when Muley was based in New York as consulate general of India.
“If Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is known as missle man to me Mulay should be known as passport man,” Jeph signed off.
