BHOPAL: The Regional Passport Office (RPO) Bhopal issued a record-breaking 2,59,100 passports in 2024, marking its highest-ever single-year issuance. This reflects a 10% increase from 2023, when 2,36,296 passports were issued, highlighting a surge in demand for international travel and improved accessibility of passport services in Madhya Pradesh.
Male passport holders reached an all-time high of 1,53,794, while female applicants exceeded 1,00,000 for the first time, with 1,05,285 women receiving passports. Regional Passport Officer Shitanshu Chaurasiya called this a significant milestone in promoting access for both genders.
To enhance service accessibility, RPO Bhopal opened four new offices in Shahdol, Guna, Mandsaur, and Khandwa, extending services to remote areas. The Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Indore was relocated to a larger, upgraded facility to handle increased demand, while the RPO itself moved to a state-of-the-art building under the Ministry of External Affairs. The new premises accommodate 200 daily applicants and feature amenities such as a library and childcare room, the first of their kind in public offices in Bhopal.
Daily appointments across Madhya Pradesh have been increased to 2,200, with a total of 25 passport service centers now operational. These include two Passport Seva Kendras in Bhopal and Indore, 22 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras, and the RPO in Bhopal.
RPO Bhopal addressed application backlogs by conducting three passport adalats, resolving over 6,000 pending cases. Special Saturday clearance drives and same-day printing and dispatch for Tatkal services enabled the office to achieve zero pendency. Appointments at PSKs are now available as early as the next working day.
Training sessions were conducted for postal and police staff, attended by high-ranking officials including the Chief Post Master General and the Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh. Over 200 police officers were trained to streamline the verification process. A special vigilance workshop led by the Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) emphasized transparency and integrity in passport issuance.
Tired of too many ads?