|
9. Dec, 2006.
Get passport without
Police report?
MUMBAI: A week after the
government relaxed emigration curbs needed for overseas travel, the Centre
was mulling a drastic dilution of police verification rules for getting
a passport.
At a high-level meeting in
New Delhi recently, it was proposed that a passport should be issued without
waiting for the police verification certificate if an applicant submits
at least three of the 14 certificates prescribed by the ministry of external
affairs.
These include identity cards
issued by the Election Commission, state governments, the central government,
public sector undertakings, SC\ST\OBC certificate, freedom fighter’s ID
card, arms licence, property documents, ration card, pass book issued by
a bank or post office, pension order, PAN card issued by the income-tax
department, ID-card issued by a recognised educational institute, driving
licence, birth certificate and kisan vikas patras.
Along with this relaxation,
the Centre is also planning to reduce the time-frame for issuing passports
under the 'tatkal' scheme. Currently, on payment of an additional Rs 1,500,
a person gets his passport in 10 days and on payment of Rs 1,000 in 20
days. It has been proposed that these periods be reduced to seven and 15
days.
"The revised guidelines have
been framed and they will be ratified at a conference of regional passport
officers to be held in Chennai on December 21 and 22. Since it’s a formality,
the revised rules on police verification will come into force from January
1, 2007,
Passport offices now forward
applications to the police station concerned for verification of applicant’s
address and criminal record.
|
|