Cuttack: While passport verification used to take more than three months in 2017, it now takes an average of four days during the first two weeks of September 2021, Odisha DGP Abhay informed Saturday while briefing the media here.
According to the DGP Abhay, passport verification by Odisha Police was taking a few weeks till early this year. Average time earlier being required for passport verification, as per data provided by the Passport Authorities, was 26 days in 2018, 26 days in 2019 and 36 days in 2020 (delay due to Corona). In earlier years, average verification time was 99 days in 2017, 90 days in 2016 and 38 days in 2015.
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Early this year, Odisha Police had decided to bring about substantial improvement in the average time. Accordingly, the task of passport verification was taken as a 5T initiative. Tablets were purchased and distributed to each police station in the state, the DGP said.
A specific App was launched for the purpose of passport verification. The Special Branch of Odisha Police started guiding and monitoring passport verification more efficiently and with better clarity.
“Substantial improvement in the time taken for passport verification has been made. In August 2021 average verification time was brought down to six days. For the first fortnight of September 2021, average time of passport verification by Odisha Police was four days only. This is among the best in the country,” the Odisha Police chief said.
The DGP appreciated the work of PS level officers, district SPs and the Special Branch as well in bringing to this improvement.
PNN
