India government has a target of issuing 15 million passports this year, a Ministry of External Affairs official said during a meeting in Kolkata.
“All over India we issue around 60,000 to 65,000 passports in a day. It’s a number in itself. This year’s target is 1.5 crores and it is different from financial targets. It is people’s participation,” said Secretary, Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs D.M. Mulay, who was in Kolkata to check whether all passport facilities are in place and working in the right direction as well as for the opening of a new passport office.
Regional passport offices in India put together during the year 2015 issued 1,01,34,035 passports under normal + Tatkal process and Indian diplomatic mission issued 29685 passports. During 2016 the number of passports issued by RPO in India dropped to 96,90,552.
The increase in the number of passport issuance will result in the increase in the number of outbound tourist from India to the popular international destinations.
“To a query on the view that the government was trying to impose a single language, in the wake of the announcement that passports would now be in both Hindi and English, Mulay said: “Idea is to facilitate, not impose. When we implement it you will see it, it’s really good.”
Source –
• http://www.mea.gov.in/annual-report-2016-17.htm
• http://www.india.com/news/agencies/india-eyes-issuing-1-5-cr-passport-in-2017-2309587/