JOIN USThe Regional Passport Office, Bangalore has decided to withdraw the walk-in facility for passport applications through the tatkal scheme and to offer appointments starting from September 20.
In the new system, applicants will have to reserve appointments online and visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) only at the given time. Appointment slots for tatkal will be announced two days in advance. For instance, appointments for September 20 will be announced two days before on September 18 at 6.30 pm and later. About 115 appointments will be available at the Lalbagh PSK per day, with 60 at Marathahalli PSK, 25 at Hubli PSK and 30 at the Mangalore PSK.
Earlier tatkal applicants were allowed to apply at the PSKs under the walk-in category and did not have to make appointments online.
Special status cases
The Passport Office has also restructured the category of applicants who can avail the walk-in system of appointments at the PSKs.
From September 20, only the following categories of applicants can avail the walk-in facility between 9.30 am to 11 am.
* Senior citizens (60 years and above)
* Differently abled citizens
* Infants below 3 years who parents hold valid passports
* Police Clearance Certificate
* Those refused tokens after taking appointment and returning within three days with relevant documents endorsed by PSK officials
* Central government employees and their dependent children
* Those who have started the process and returning with necessary documents
Regional Passport Officer P S Karthigeyan said that tatkal appointments and applications for minors aged 5 to 15 formed the largest chunk of walk-ins.
“These two categories formed the bulk of walk-ins. Others would have to wait a long time for service. Those with appointments were also affected due to the rush this was creating. There would be hardship, irritation and flared tempers. We are just trying to ease the system and streamline it,” he said.
Karthigeyan, meanwhile, specified that tatkal applicants who had immediate need to travel could still approach the Passport Office with proof of emergency, so they could be accommodated on the same day at the PSKs.
The Passport Office has recently increased the number of appointments for normal processing, allowed round-the-clock booking of appointments and also introduced a mandatory online payment of processing fee.