(a) whether there is any proposal to set up a Passport Office at Kollam in Kerala;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor ?
(a) whether there is any proposal to set up a Passport Office at Kollam in Kerala;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor ?
THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS(SHRI JASWANT SINGH)
(a) No, Sir.
(b) Does not arise.
(c) The Passport Office, Trivandrum is presently looking after Kollam district. Opening of a new Passport Office is governed by certain criteria such as the location of the existing Passport Offices and the volume of applications received from a particular region. Besides, as per the recommendations of the Standing Committee of Parliament on External Affairs, there should be at least 50,000 applications for passports per year from an area where a new Passport Office is to be opened. Kollam district does not meet this criterion.
However, passport application forms are being accepted at the Speed Post Centre in Kollam Head Post Office. To further decentralise the collection of passport applications, all the states have been asked to start collecting passport applications at District Headquarters. Government of Kerala has agreed to set up District Passport Cells in the offices of the District Superintendent of Police for collection of passport application forms, modalities for which are being worked out.