Hyd’bad RPO to cut down normal appointment cycle

Hyderabad: The Regional Passport Office (RPO), Hyderabad, is planning to reduce the normal appointment cycle to five to six working days from the present six to eight working days. It is also planned to shift a few Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) to a better location very soon in the city.

Highlighting the achievements of the previous year, J Snehaja, Regional Passport Officer, said, “The RPO Hyderabad, which operates five PSKs and 14 POPSKs, processed an average of 4,200 applications daily and handled approximately 9.02 lakh applications in 2024. These include passport issuance, police clearance certificates, and other related services. In addition, to increase appointments at PSKs in Hyderabad, simultaneously in Warangal, Khammam, Vikarabad, Mechal, Mahbubnagar, and Nalgonda have been expanded to meet the demand. The requirement of a middle-man in securing a passport has been eliminated.”

Tatkal passports were being delivered within one to three working days, while normal passports take about five to seven working days, excluding police verification time. In the previous year, the appointment cycle at PSKs for normal appointments has been reduced from 22 working days in 2023 to an average of six to eight working days in 2024. Last year over 10,000 emails were responded to, and grievances were addressed in one to three working days. In addition, over 30,000 applicants availed themselves of the services of the walk-in facility for the inquiry appointment system on Thursdays. “To enhance grievance redressal, RPO Hyderabad has a dedicated WhatsApp number, 8121401532, complementing existing channels such as email, RTI, CPGRAMS, and Twitter,” she added.

Stressing the shifting of PSKs and mobile service, the regional passport officer said, “There is a plan to shift its PSKs, including Tolichowki and Ameerpet centres, to better locations. In the first half of the year, to cater to more applicants, the number of appointments would be enhanced. The mobile van that has been deployed at POPSK, Kamareddy, has been effectively addressing the issue.”