Residents of Bengalurus suburbs opt out-of-city Passport Seva Kendras for easy travel

BENGALURU: With traffic snarls increasing and population growing in the city outskirts, those living on Bengalurus borders are applying for passports in neighbouring districts, and even in neighbouring states. Sources in Passport Seva Kendra (PSKs) offices in Bengaluru said people residing in North Bengaluru, including those towards Kempegowda International Airport, were applying for passports at post offices in Kolar and Chikkaballapur and even PSKs in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, as travel is easier. Similar is the case with those staying beyond Hosa Road in Sarjapura and Anekal. They are applying for passports from Post Office PSKs (POPSKs) and PSKs in Tamil Nadu. Officials said same is the case with people living in North Karnataka regions and Mangaluru -- they opt for PSKs in Andhra Pradesh or Kerala and vice-versa. Many people from Kerala are applying for passports from Mangaluru, due to geographical proximity. To cater to rising applications from such regions, the Ministry of External Affairs has been regularly organising mobile passport camps. Mobile vans are deployed to collect and process bulk passport applications. The Karnataka Regional Passport Office had organised a similar mobile passport camp in Yelahanka last September. Explaining this trend, sources in the passport office said in 2018, the Apply Anywhere in India Passport Service was launched. Over time, this has gradually gained popularity, particularly among people in border areas who apply for passports in neighbouring states and districts. Under this provision, the applicant can be a resident of any part of the country and can apply for a passport anywhere in India. The applicant has to submit valid address proof, date of birth and identity proof. The documents are verified at the applicants domicile address. It was introduced to help the working population. But now it is being seen more among people living in border districts. They apply for passports from locations where they find it convenient. This provision is a useful tool as passport is a travel document and a nationality proof, the source said. With this provision, passport renewal has also become hassle-free, which usually happens once in 5-10 years. Renewal can be done from anywhere. It is becoming more popular among the floating population in urban areas -- students and working population. With existing PSKs and POPSKs processing a large number of applications, this provision is being opted for by many applicants. Karnataka has five PSKs and 23 POPSKs. On average, there is a 10 per cent rise year-on-year in all centres, Nirad added.