Gujarat simplifies passport verification process, ends police station visits

Gandhinagar, Aug 4 (IANS) The Gujarat Police on Tuesday introduced a simplified passport verification process under which applicants will no longer be required to visit police stations as part of routine verification, with the exercise now limited to checking citizenship and criminal antecedents except in exceptional cases.

The new directions have been issued by Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Singh Malik to all police stations and police officers across the state with the aim of making passport verification more transparent, efficient and citizen-friendly while reducing unnecessary inconvenience to applicants.

According to the instructions, passport applicants will not be called to police stations for verification.

During the verification process, police officers are required only to verify the applicant’s citizenship and criminal antecedents.

The directions also clarify that the police are not required to conduct a separate verification of the applicant’s residential address. In addition, officers do not need to meet applicants in person or obtain their signatures as part of the routine verification process.

The police will visit an applicant’s residence only in exceptional cases where they identify a suspicious issue or consider further verification necessary.

Even in such circumstances, applicants will not be required to appear at the police station.

Announcing the revised procedure, the Gujarat Police said the changes have been introduced to ensure citizens do not have to make unnecessary visits during passport verification and to simplify the administrative process.

“The passport applicant will not be required to appear in person at the police station for the verification process. During police verification, only the applicant’s citizenship and criminal antecedents are required to be verified,” the police said.

The directions further state: “Only in exceptional cases, where any suspicious matter is noticed, or further verification is considered necessary, will the police visit the applicant’s residence. Even in such cases, there is no requirement to call the applicant to the police station.”

DGP Malik has directed all police officers in the state to strictly comply with the revised instructions.

The Gujarat Police have also appealed to citizens to familiarise themselves with the simplified procedure and avoid any unnecessary processes while completing passport verification.

–IANS

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