Srinagar, Jan 7: The Regional Passport Office (RPO) Srinagar has witnessed a significant rise in passport issuances over the past three years, with the number of passports issued achieving a new milestone in 2024.
According to the latest data accessed by Kashmir Dot Com, a total of 108,865 passports were issued in 2024, marking an increase of over 13,000 compared to 95,901 passports issued in 2023.
This upward trend in passport issuances reflects a growing demand for travel documents among residents of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2022, the total number of passports issued stood at 74,553.
Apart from the increase in issued passports, the RPO also processed a substantial number of passport applications, with 85,930 applications processed in 2022; 115,145 in 2023, and 89,585 in 2024. However, despite these high processing numbers, a significant gap remains between the total applications submitted and the actual number of passports issued, largely due to delays in the police clearance verification.
As per the data, in 2022 as many as 4,135 police clearance certificates were processed, but this number dropped to 3,407 in 2023 and further declined to 3,247 in 2024. This decline may reflect a slight improvement in efficiency, but the overall process remains slow and often delayed by logistical and security concerns in J&K.
Police clearance process
The police clearance process is one of the most time-consuming aspects of passport issuance in Jammu and Kashmir. Police stations are responsible for conducting background checks to ensure that applicants do not have any criminal or security-related issues. owever, due to J&K’s fragile security situation, the verification process tends to take longer compared to other parts of the country.
The situation is particularly dire in Kargil, a district that faces unique challenges due to its remote location. While the Kargil Passport Camp issued 337 passports in 2023 and 267 passports in 2024, the process continues to be slower and more cumbersome compared to other regions. Applicants in Kargil often face additional hurdles, including limited access to local passport services and the need to travel to Srinagar for police verification.
Kargil Camp & challenges
The Kargil Passport Camp serves as an important facility for residents of the area, but due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and resources, applicants often experience long delays. With a limited number of passports issued annually, the camp struggles to meet the demand for passport services in this strategically important but geographically challenging region.
Despite the challenges, efforts are being made to address the delays and improve the overall passport issuance process in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs has been working closely with local police authorities to streamline the verification process, and there have been discussions about increasing the number of passport camps in rural and border areas.
Moreover, the Regional Passport Office in Srinagar has been working on enhancing the technological infrastructure to make the process more efficient.
A senior official from the Regional Passport Office said that the office has been making concerted efforts to address the delays. “We understand the difficulties faced by applicants, and we are working towards improving the system. However, police verification remains a crucial part of the process, and we are in constant touch with the local police to expedite it.”
