Tharoor-led parliamentary panel reviews passport services in Jammu, flags processing delays

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on Monday reviewed the functioning of passport services in Jammu, flagging delays in processing, police verification and issuance of passports while seeking assurances for improvements from the concerned departments.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs visited the Regional Passport office and the Passport Seva Kendra here. “They seem to be functioning smoothly,” Tharoor commented.

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Chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs Shashi Tharoor wrote on X; “Had a detailed meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs in Jammu this morning, reviewing the work of the Regional Passport Office (RPO) and the Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs)”.

“We asked some tough and probing questions about passport issuance to their representatives and to those of the Police, CID and Postal Department. Some of the unconscionable delays in processing, police verification and issuance of passports were flagged and discussed. Improvements have been promised”, Tharoor wrote.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on External Affairs arrived here yesterday on a five-day visit to the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
Headed by senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha Member Shashi Tharoor, the eight -member Parliamentary Committee comprises Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, actor turned politician Arun Govil, Sanatan Pandey, Arvind Ganpat, Mitesh Patel, Vijay Bagel and K Laxman.
The PSC members will fly to Srinagar on June 23 and then proceed to Kargil by road on June 24. Thereafter the panel will visit Leh the next day.

They will deliberate on the subject “Understanding India-China Relations And The Way Forward”. The panel will also have specific discussions on “Recent Developments in India-Pakistan Relations”.

The panel is also likely to visit some areas bordering Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and a few villages located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Leh. While visiting the border areas with Pakistan and China, the PSC will interact with the troops deployed there and people residing in the forward areas for assessing the ground realities.