KOCHI: The regional passport office (RPO) here has become India’s first RPO to introduce a real-time short messaging service passport enquiry system and a unique Speedpost registration number scheme with computer-generated barcodes for mailing of passports.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shahsi Tharoor inaugurated both the projects at a function held at the RPO here Tuesday. The new system will allow applicants to track the movement of their passports on the India Post website as well.
“The SMS scheme available on 094464-02200 ensures that an applicant forwarding an SMS query gets a response within 10 seconds,” Regional Passports Officer S. Balachandran said. “Once this comes into effect, every applicant who has furnished his mobile phone number in the application will receive an automatic SMS status massage.”
Although Kerala accounts for just three percent of India’s estimated one billion population, 11 percent of passport applications are from the state, which is also the largest exporter of manpower among Indian states.
The tiny state also has four RPOs to clear the rush of outbound migrants seeking passports. New software designed to reduce the number of pending applications was also introduced on Tuesday. The new system is expected to expedite the issuing process of the passports.
“The schemes will provide an efficient and streamlined passport service system,” said Tharoor. “Complaints regarding service at the office are being addressed to ensure that we get a model passport office which the rest of the country can emulate.”
