Swaraj inaugurates Passport Officers' Conference
Thirty seven Passport Officers are participating in the conference.
The occasion also marked observance of ‘Passport Seva Divas’ commemorating June 24 as the day the Passports Act 1967 was enacted.
The Act lays down the foundation of a sound legal framework for issuance of Passports and other travel documents in India.
The Minister unveiled a ‘Passport Seva’ lapel to be used by all the officials of the 37 Passport Offices and 77 Passport Seva Kendra in the country, with a view to promote camaraderie and to renew the pledge to serve fellow citizens better.
Speaking on the occasion, the External Affairs Minister emphasized that the observance of Passport Seva Divas should not be merely ritualistic.
Swaraj expressed the government’s resolve to introduce citizen-friendly administrative reforms and policies aimed at restoring faith of the people in the system and bringing visible change in their lives.
The Minister exhorted upon the Passport Issuing Authorities to serve the public with courtesy and empathy and not to take passport issuance merely as routine official duty as the word ‘Seva’ itself connotes selfless service with humility.
The Minister impressed on the need for good governance by ensuring timely, effective and accountable service delivery.
Swaraj impressed upon all the stakeholders to brain-storm for further simplification of processes and procedures and to do away with the redundant ones.
The Minister expressed satisfaction at the efforts of Central Passport Organization (CPO) in reforming the system but felt that there was much more scope for improvement.
Swaraj gave away Passport Seva Puraskars to the best performing Passport Offices and the personnel of the Service Provider in recognition of the outstanding services rendered to citizens.
Police verification, being a critical component of passport issuance, awards were also given away to the Police Departments of Delhi, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to recognise their efforts in speedy police clearances.
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