KL Report
SRINAGAR
Continuing with its record performance since 2012, Passport Office Srinagar during 2014 rendered around 56400 (Fifty Six Thousand Four Hundred) number of passport related services (around 250 per day) besides processed around 57000 (fifty seven thousand) passport applications, an official statement said on Wednesday.
“Thus around One Lakh Seventy Seven Thousand Passport services were provided since 2012 which is a record in the history of Passport Office Srinagar,” the statement claimed.
The performance of this year, however, assumes significance as the functioning of the office got badly affected due to floods, it said.
“Despite abnormal situation & inadequate facilities the office made tireless efforts to resume the functioning in record period. Various measures to provide interim services to the citizen were taken up including acceptance of applications under manual mode at the Passport Office-Srinagar and setting up temporary counters at the Passport Back Office at Srinagar for receiving online applications from the citizen. A camp office of Passport Office Srinagar was also set up at Passport Office Jammu to attend to Kashmir based Passport applicants,” the statement said.
“Duplicate Passports were issued on priority and under gratis (with fee waived) in respect to those Passport holders who had lost/damaged their Passports in floods. Special waiver scheme was offered by Ministry Of External Affairs in this regard. Around 1250 number of Passport holders were benefitted under the scheme till date.”
In addition to passport services, the statement informed, “this office was faced with a huge responsibility of crossing of Cross LoC passengers stranded on either side of LoC due to floods. Special bus service was arranged in coordination with all concerned on 26th Sep 2014 to facilitate crossing of stranded passengers. LoC crossing during the year otherwise remained hassle-free.”
“This year was a watershed in history of Passport Office Srinagar as it was conferred with maiden national award, “Certificate of Appreciation” for achieving high standards of Passport Service delivery to citizens. The office also had the honor of being the part of Indian Delegation in Indo-Pak Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Cross LoC CBMs held at New Dehli on March 4,2014,” the statement said.
