In the last two days, Pune residents have found themselves caught in a web of frustration as a technical glitch in the Passport Office’s website wreaks havoc on the online application process. The glitch, primarily rooted in incomplete fee payments during the application, has resulted in server failures, leaving thousands of hopeful passport seekers stranded.
The Pune Divisional Passport Office, dealing with a substantial surge in applicants, typically processes between one thousand to twelve hundred applications daily. Unfortunately, the ongoing website hiccup has created a bottleneck, causing significant inconvenience for applicants eagerly awaiting their passports. Despite the challenges faced, the Passport Office reassures citizens that they are actively working to resolve the issue promptly.
Renowned as an IT and business hub, Pune has witnessed a surge in passport applications post-COVID-19 restrictions. Many individuals failed to renew their passports during the pandemic, leading to a substantial backlog. While the Passport Office is working tirelessly to process both pending and new applications, citizens express dissatisfaction with the lack of timely communication about the technical glitch.
Divisional Passport Officer Arjun Deore acknowledged the problem, emphasizing that the technical team is actively addressing the issues raised by applicants. “The matter has been brought to the notice of our Central Technical Department, and soon this technical problem will be resolved,” Devare assured.
Providing a broader context, the Passport Office in Pune distributed a noteworthy 4,56,729 passports in 2023, illustrating the growing demand for this essential document. As Pune residents eagerly await a swift resolution to the website glitch, the Passport Office assures citizens that their dedicated efforts are aimed at ensuring a smoother application process in the coming days.
Passport Delivery Statistics in Pune:
- 2019: 4,98,600
- 2020: 1,61,295
- 2021: 2,31,346
- 2022: 3,44,447
- 2023: 4,56,729
