RPO Pune has proposed new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras in Chakan and Hadapsar to make passport services more accessible. (File photo, enhanced by AI)Residents of Chakan and Hadapsar may no longer have to travel to the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) on the Baner-Pashan Link Road for passport-related services, with the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Pune, proposing the establishment of Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) in both localities soon.Speaking on the occasion of Passport Seva Divas on June 24, Regional Passport Officer Vinod Gaikwad said the proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs under its existing arrangement with the Department of Posts.“There is considerable demand for passport services from residents of Chakan and Hadapsar, largely because both areas are major industrial hubs. We have requested the ministry to set up POPSKs there so that applicants do not have to travel long distances for appointments,” Gaikwad said.Also Read | ‘Irrational’, ‘alarming’: Opposition on former editor’s passport rowUnder the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts, selected post offices function as POPSKs to make passport services more accessible. According to Gaikwad, the additional centres would also ease the burden on the existing Passport Seva Kendra in Pune and help reduce appointment waiting time.Also Read | Passport isn’t proof of citizenship. Was the NRC supposed to be?The Baner-Pashan Link Road PSK currently processes around 1,430 appointments every day. Gaikwad said nearly 250 applicants visit the centre daily with incomplete documentation. “Instead of turning them away, we register their file and allow them to complete the process once they submit the required documents,” he said.The Regional Passport Officer also expressed concern over the number of applicants who fail to turn up for scheduled appointments. “About 5 to 10 per cent of applicants remain absent despite booking appointments. This prevents others from getting those slots and results in avoidable loss of staff time,” he said, urging citizens to cancel or reschedule appointments if they are unable to attend.Applicants requiring passports urgently can opt for the Tatkal scheme, approach the RPO through email in emergencies, or check for available appointment slots at passport centres in other districts under the Pune RPO’s jurisdiction, he added.Story continues below this adDeputy Passport Officer Shruti Pandey highlighted the ongoing Passport Seva Programme 2.0, which includes upgraded digital infrastructure and the rollout of biometric chip-enabled passports.She said the Pune Regional Passport Office issued 2.17 lakh passports between January and May this year. Around 2 per cent of applications remained undelivered, largely because applicants did not turn up or failed to complete the required documentation.