SRINAGAR: A parliamentary panel examining the Ministry of External Affairs has expressed concern over the protracted delays in the issuance of passports for residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, urging for an expedited process.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Shashi Tharoor, Chairperson of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, conveyed the committee’s serious concerns regarding the impediments faced by applicants in these Union Territories.
During a press interaction, Tharoor stated that the committee has been actively raising significant questions to ensure improvements and a substantial acceleration in passport delivery services for individuals applying from Kashmir, Leh, Srinagar, and Jammu.
The parliamentary committee has engaged in extensive discussions with various stakeholders to understand the intricacies of passport issuance procedures. These consultations included dialogues with officials from the Regional Passport Office, representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi, and personnel from the police and postal departments.
Tharoor, who is also a Member of Parliament, described the initial days of the committee’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as productive, with four more days allocated for their stay to further study the issues at hand. The committee intends to compile its findings and recommendations into a comprehensive report.
Members of the visiting parliamentary delegation found the discussions to be meaningful and constructive. The committee’s mandate for the visit includes a detailed study of Indo-Pakistan relations, Sino-Indian relations, and a thorough examination of the operational functioning of passport offices and Passport Seva Kendras across the region.
Clarifying the scope of their visit, Tharoor emphasized that the committee is not in Jammu and Kashmir to assess domestic conditions or local affairs. He reiterated that their focus is strictly limited to the three specified external affairs-related issues. As members of the External Affairs Committee, their mandate does not extend to scrutinizing internal matters.
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The Chenab Times News Desk