Passport Mela today and on Mar. 3

Mysuru:  Following increase in the number of applicants from Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and surrounding districts, Passport Melas will be held today and on March 3 at the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at Metagalli in city to reduce the ‘Appointment Cycle.’ Sources said that a total of 130 appointments were given at the POPSK at Metagalli on each working day, while other applicants had to wait for four to five days to secure an appointment where their applications are processed and added that the officials wanted to clear the backlog so that an applicant gets an appointment the very next day. An additional 130 appointments is given on each day of the Passport Mela, sources said. The POPSK at Metagalli functions only from Monday to Friday and the melas has been scheduled on Saturdays — Feb. 17 and Mar. 3 and the POPSK staff will work on Saturdays as part of the mela. To participate in the Passport Mela, the applicant has to first log on to the official website www.passportindia.gov.in, register online, generate an ARN (Application Registration Number) and take an appointment by paying the fees online. The applicants should bring the printout of the ARN with appointment details to the POPSK along with the requisite documents in original in addition to one set of self-attested photocopies. The appointments will be released on first-come-first-serve basis, said a press release from the Regional Passport Office.