Bhubaneswar/ Kalinga Voice: Till early this year passport verification by Odisha Police was taking a few weeks. The average time for passport verification, as per data of 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.
Early this year, Odisha Police decided to bring substantial improvement in this. Accordingly passport verification was taken as 5T initiative. Tablets were purchased and distributed to each Police Station. A specific App for passport verification was installed and Special Branch started guiding and monitoring passport verification more clearly.
Substantial improvement in the time taken for passport verification has been made. In August 2021 average verification time was brought 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.
DGP has appreciated the work of P.S. level officers, district SsP and Special Branch in bringing to this improvement.
