Regional Passport Officer Dr. K Srikar Reddy, on Thursday, announced that the department would receive passport applications at 263 eSeva centres across Andhra Pradesh from 1 August.
Talking to media persons at the Regional Passport Office in Secunderabad, Srikar Reddy said that the eSeva centres would charge Rs. 150 per application, including charges for the police clearance certificate.
He said that eSeva applicants can walk in for an interview at one of the three passport centres located in Hyderabad, from 9am to 11am, without any prior appointment, and get their documents verified with the officials concerned.
Stating that the office has been receiving about 2,500 applications per day, he said that the Passport Kendriya Centres have been charging Rs. 550 per application.
In order to reduce pressure on online appointments and smoothen the submission of applications, applicants will be allowed to submit their registered applications with the AEN number.
The RPO said that about 30,000 applications were pending with the passport office, mainly due to police clearance. He said that more than 20,000 passport applications files have been closed upto 1 July 2011, due to various reasons, and that the applicants have been asked to apply afresh.
He also said that a mini-passport Seva Centre would be opened shortly.
Director EDS (eSeva) Dr. K Gopinatha said that 263 eSeva centres would be operated for receiving the passport applications. He said that about 4,000 eSeva centres in rural areas would be given permission to receive passport applications. (INN)