Port Blair, July 24: The Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the provision of issuance of Passports under Tatkal Seva facility for people of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Tatkal Seva facility offered by the Government of India plays a crucial role in expediting the processing of passport applications. However, currently this service is reportedly unavailable in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, leaving residents at a disadvantage when they require urgent passport services.

In a letter addressed to the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs of India, he said that the absence of a full-fledged Regional Passport Officer's office in Andaman & Nicobar Islands has contributed to the unavailability of Tatkal Seva for the Islanders. As a result, Islanders are unable to avail this essential facility, causing delays in obtaining passports, especially during emergencies.

He said that with the forthcoming commencement of international flight operations from the International Airport at Port Blair, the demand for passports is anticipated to surge significantly for tourism, business, education and other purposes. Many Islanders, including students, have expressed their eagerness to travel to nearby countries. Therefore, access to Tatkal Seva is deemed imperative to ensure seamless and timely passport issuance, he said.

The Member of Parliament pointed out earlier Passports were prepared and issued at Port Blair by the Passport section of Secretariat, A&N Administration but for the past several years, passports for the people of Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been prepared and issued from Kolkata, leading to prolonged processing times and delays in passport delivery to Port Blair.

He emphasized that establishing an office of the Regional Passport Officer at Port Blair would allow for the preparation and issuance of both normal and Tatkal passports locally, streamlining the process and easing the plight of Islanders.