Many wait for hours outside Pune Passport Office as servers crash pan India

Pune: Numerous applicants were left waiting outside the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Mundhwa on Tuesday as technical issues plagued the passport servers nationwide, causing significant delays despite confirmed appointments scheduled months in advance.
Applicants reported waiting in scorching heat for hours, with many standing outside the gates since early morning. The situation remained challenging throughout the day as officials struggled to process applications due to server slowdowns. Pranav Bodhe, a resident of Urali Kanchan who had a fresh passport appointment at 2:15 pm, said, "We were outside the gate under the sun since 2 pm and were finally allowed inside for the process by 3:30."
According to social media reports, people, including minors and elderly citizens, were seen standing in the heat since 8:30 am. "Many had booked their slots at least two months in advance but were still left waiting without concrete answers from officials," said a Reddit post.
A passport agent said, "My customer went there at 9 am for a passport reissue appointment and was finally in by 11:30-12 pm. It took another two hours inside for him, so he spent five hours at the office. Many people faced similar inconvenience." The passport agent who has been assisting clients with documentation added that the servers had slowed down all day, and even by Tuesday evening, the situation hadn't completely resolved.
When contacted, an official from Regional Passport Office, Pune, told TOI, "There was some technical issue and servers were down for a couple of hours pan-India. But the tech team worked on it and the issue has been resolved."
Another passport agent, who did not wish to be quoted, said, "It was a server issue which slowed the process. Our agent WhatsApp groups were buzzing with agents reporting significant delays and rush outside the passport office and 2-3 hours delay for applicants to be allowed inside."
"I was in the passport office since morning and stepped out around 5 in the evening. My agent said that this was the situation pan India with significant wait time despite appointments. This was the case even in Delhi, Mumbai, Nashik with servers down. So, applicants faced the same issue even in those cities," said an applicant requesting anonymity.
Pune: Numerous applicants were left waiting outside the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Mundhwa on Tuesday as technical issues plagued the passport servers nationwide, causing significant delays despite confirmed appointments scheduled months in advance.
Applicants reported waiting in scorching heat for hours, with many standing outside the gates since early morning. The situation remained challenging throughout the day as officials struggled to process applications due to server slowdowns. Pranav Bodhe, a resident of Urali Kanchan who had a fresh passport appointment at 2:15 pm, said, "We were outside the gate under the sun since 2 pm and were finally allowed inside for the process by 3:30."
According to social media reports, people, including minors and elderly citizens, were seen standing in the heat since 8:30 am. "Many had booked their slots at least two months in advance but were still left waiting without concrete answers from officials," said a Reddit post.
A passport agent said, "My customer went there at 9 am for a passport reissue appointment and was finally in by 11:30-12 pm. It took another two hours inside for him, so he spent five hours at the office. Many people faced similar inconvenience." The passport agent who has been assisting clients with documentation added that the servers had slowed down all day, and even by Tuesday evening, the situation hadn't completely resolved.
When contacted, an official from Regional Passport Office, Pune, told TOI, "There was some technical issue and servers were down for a couple of hours pan-India. But the tech team worked on it and the issue has been resolved."
Another passport agent, who did not wish to be quoted, said, "It was a server issue which slowed the process. Our agent WhatsApp groups were buzzing with agents reporting significant delays and rush outside the passport office and 2-3 hours delay for applicants to be allowed inside."
"I was in the passport office since morning and stepped out around 5 in the evening. My agent said that this was the situation pan India with significant wait time despite appointments. This was the case even in Delhi, Mumbai, Nashik with servers down. So, applicants faced the same issue even in those cities," said an applicant requesting anonymity.