The breather, long due for those desiring passports in a hurry, is finally here. The process is going to be much less cumbersome for the common man who will now be able to get a passport made more quickly.

Besides reducing the number of documents to be attached with the application, passports will now be allowed to be issued before the police verification is finally done. As per new rules, passports will have to be re-issued within four days now. 

"You can now get a passport if you submit only three documents along
with a verification certificate. And you don’t even have to pay extra
as in Tatkal service — you will get your passport without police
verification within Rs 1,000 fee bracket",said Vitul Kumar.

Regional passport officer Vitul Kumar said that his staff was being
sensitised about changes so that the public too may be adequately made
aware of the fresh guidelines.

Perhaps what will be the biggest respite for the common man is change
in rules that now police verification will not be required for
re-issuing a passport.

But this definitely does not mean that there will not be a police check
on you. The checks will be run subsequently and it only means that the
passport will not be held up police checks.

It is the direction to expedite processing of documents which has spelt
good news for the applicants. Under the Tatkal scheme, a passport will
now have to be issued within 14 days, rather than 20 days by paying Rs
1,000 extra fee.

A Tatkal passport may also be issued within seven days, if an applicant pays Rs 500 extra. Significantly, the stamp of
‘emigration check not required (ECNR)’ has also been dispensed with if the applicant has passed out of school.

Even fresh applicants have got respite as they can skip police
verification if their papers are endorsed by under secretaries in the
government of India, tehsildars and SHOs.
 

courtesy : TOI