(a) Whether the Government proposes to strengthen the decentralisation scheme for submission of passport applications at district level through the district passport cells;
(b) if so, the details of the scheme and the time by which it is likely to be implemented;
(c) the measures undertaken by the Government to root out corruption in this field; and
(d) the monitoring machinery put in place to ensure that illiterate, gullible people are not harassed?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)
(a) & (b) The decentralisation scheme for submission of passport applications at district level is already functional. There are 446 District Passport Cells (DPCs) functioning in the 602 districts of the country covering more than 70% of the country, to facilitate submission of passport applications at district level. These are set up under the Office of District Magistrate or Superintendent of Police, which receives and scrutinizes passport applications and after having the police verification carried out, forward these to the Passport Offices for further processing and issuance of passports. Thus, the applicants do not have to travel long distance but have to go to district headquarters to submit their applications. Submission of passport applications can also be carried out through Speed Post Centres. At present, more than 200 Speed Post Centres throughout the country accept passport applications. Besides, there are 15 Passport Collection Centres (PACCs), which are managed by the staff from Passport Offices. PACCs also receive passport applications and forward the same to the Passport Offices for further processing and issuance of passports.
(c) No instances of corruption in this field have come to our notice.
(d) Does not arise.