The Regional Passport Office (RPO)-Vijayawada, which has been functioning from Visakhapatnam so far, will be shifted to Governorpet in Vijayawada in January 2024, say officials. As of now, Vijayawada has a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK).
Once the office is shifted, applicants can expect a reduction in the waiting time in obtaining their passports, as printing too will be done in the city, Vijayawada Regional Passport Officer K. Shiva Harsha told the media here on Saturday.
Earlier, one had to go all the way to Visakhapatnam to get any issue resolved, he said. “The shifting of the RPO will be a relief for the people of Rayalaseema, as Vijayawada is nearer to them than Visakhapatnam,” Mr. Shiva Harsha said.
This would be the second Passport Office in the State after the one in Visakhapatnam, which would offer printing, despatch, administration and policy-related services to the applicants.
The Vijayawada RPO would cater to the needs of the applicants from 15 districts. The PSKs in Vijayawada and Tirupati, and the 13 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) come under its jurisdiction, a release from the office said.
The RPO-Vijayawada currently processes approximately 2,000 applications per day. It has provided services to more than three lakh applicants (for passports and police clearance) so far.
