Mobile passport verification across Karnataka

The mpassport app used by the city police for passport verification will be extended to the entire state very soon.

Regional Passport Officer (RPO) for Bengaluru Bharat Kumar Kuthati said the mobile verification service will be made available across the state in three weeks time. By addressing the time-consuming process of police verification, the app will simplify the process to acquire passport.

Speaking at the interaction meeting with members of Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the RPO promised to address various issues citizens face while applying for passport.

“Police verification is one process that is time consuming,” Kumar said, talking about extending the mpassport verification app. “While the process at our end takes three to four days, the police process is time consuming. Adequate training will be given to the department.”

Besides eliminating paperwork, the app will address delays related to police station. The field processing could be done through smartphones or tablets.

FKCCI members urged the passport official to have a special window for them to quickly get their passports renewed or get additional booklets or sheets. The RPO, while promising to address the issues on a priority basis, clarified that there would not be a need for such arrangements.

He also spoke about Annexure E, about which the common citizens are not aware. “We did away with so many norms and made things easier. Since many of them raise concerns about delays in police verification, there’s an option for the applicants to declare through Annexure ‘E’ that there’s no case against him/her, which should be submitted along with any other three ‘must’ documents.

“This’s enough. We trust our citizens and, with the declaration, we can go ahead with the process while police verification can happen later,” Kumar said.

The officer said that the passport office needed only two details from the police: if the applicant is a citizen and if there are criminal cases against him.