The ordeals of people from Prakasam district going all the way to Tirupati or Vijaywada to get their passports are now passé, thanks to the newly set up passport office sub-centre in Ongole where the fresh applicants can get their documents verified.
The sub-centre, which was a long-pending demand of the students and youth from the district looking for job opportunities abroad, was opened at the head post office and the officials say that the facility has evoked a good response.
The number of applications meant for handling is restricted to 50 per day as of now, says Passport Verification Officer (PVO) Ch. Ravikiran. “We are getting a very good response from passport seekers. Even those from the bordering villages of Guntur and Nellore districts are now preferring to submit their applications here, instead going all the way to their respective district headquarters,” he says.
The officials at the passport office sub-centre cross-check the applications received and send them to Tirupati for further processing the same day itself. The applicants can get their passports within 20 to 30 days after the verification by the local police.
Tatkal route
“However, those who are in an urgency to get passport through Tatkal route need to go to Vijaywada or Tirupati,” says Mr. Ravikiran, adding that passport melas would be organised in different towns of the district after the sub-centre gets additional staff. Meanwhile, the passport seekers are a happy lot. “I remember I had to go all the way to Chennai to get my passport soon after I completed my engineering degree. Now, I am able to get my passport renewed here,” says Damodar, a techie who lives in Boston and has come here on a vacation. “Students having passport have a better chance to get placement as employers prefer such job-seekers,” says S. Mahesh, an engineering student as he was waiting for his turn to complete the document verification process by the officer who has come here on deputation from Visakhapatnam.