Lok Sabha Question No. 3326 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Passport Services through Post Offices
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Vinod Chavda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3326 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/08/2022

## PASSPORT SERVICES THROUGH POST OFFICES

## 3326. SHRI VINOD L. CHAVDA

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether   the   Government   holds   data   regarding   the   total   number   of Passport holders in India;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (c) the   details   of   Passport   related   facilities   being   availed   of   by   the citizen through Post Offices?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

(SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

- (a) & (b) Yes. State-wise details of Passports holders are at Annexure I.
- (c) The   Ministry   in   association   with   Department   of   Posts   (DOP)   had announced in January, 2017 opening of Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) at the Head Post Offices (HPO)/Post Offices (PO) in each Parliamentary constituency where there is no Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK). Citizens can apply for issue of normal Passports through these POPSKs. POPSKs are established in remote locations and small towns in the Lok Sabha constituencies away from the State capitals, thereby bringing passports services closer to the citizens and making it easier for citizens to obtain Passports.

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## Annexure- I

|   S.No. | State/UT               | Passport holders as on 30.06.2022   |
|---------|------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|       1 | Andaman and Nicobar    | 2,787                               |
|       2 | Andhra Pradesh         | 38,92,310                           |
|       3 | Arunachal Pradesh      | 22,199                              |
|       4 | Assam                  | 5,97,874                            |
|       5 | Bihar                  | 23,93,021                           |
|       6 | Chandigarh             | 2,32,419                            |
|       7 | Chhattisgarh           | 3,45,757                            |
|       8 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 17,366                              |
|       9 | Daman and Diu          | 38,305                              |
|      10 | Delhi                  | 31,40,313                           |
|      11 | Goa                    | 3,58,169                            |
|      12 | Gujarat                | 56,42,905                           |
|      13 | Haryana                | 25,33,716                           |
|      14 | Himachal Pradesh       | 3,97,679                            |
|      15 | Jammu and Kashmir      | 9,09,117                            |
|      16 | Jharkhand              | 6,80,124                            |
|      17 | Karnataka              | 49,95,114                           |
|      18 | Kerala                 | 91,43,099                           |
|      19 | Ladakh                 | 4,808                               |
|      20 | Lakshadweep            | 15,697                              |
|      21 | Madhya Pradesh         | 13,54,527                           |
|      22 | Maharashtra            | 89,32,053                           |
|      23 | Manipur                | 75,952                              |
|      24 | Meghalaya              | 49,591                              |
|      25 | Mizoram                | 32,473                              |
|      26 | Nagaland               | 37,311                              |
|      27 | Odisha                 | 8,61,718                            |
|      28 | Puducherry             | 1,92,071                            |
|      29 | Punjab                 | 61,52,518                           |
|      30 | Rajasthan              | 25,64,219                           |
|      31 | Sikkim                 | 41,032                              |
|      32 | Tamil Nadu             | 79,27,869                           |
|      33 | Telangana              | 35,20,738                           |
|      34 | Tripura                | 1,86,108                            |

| 35   | Uttar Pradesh   | 76,18,465   |
|------|-----------------|-------------|
| 36   | Uttarakhand     | 6,78,385    |
| 37   | West Bengal     | 39,31,312   |
|      | Grand Total     | 7,95,19,121 |

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