From: Carmo Santos, President - Goan Welfare Society-Kuwait <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
ECNR benefit for matriculates NT Staff Reporter Panaji, Nov 29: The ministry of overseas Indian affairs has modified existing rules to include all the passport holders and seekers with a qualification of SSC into the Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) category. Giving this information, Mr B S Rokade, the regional passport officer, said that henceforth all persons having educational qualification of matriculation and above would be placed in ECNR category, adding that a large number of Goan population would be benefitted by this decision. Besides, all persons who have been staying abroad for more than 3 years and their spouses and all children up to the age of 18 years would also be placed in the ECNR status category, he said. He also said that the ministry of external affairs would soon introduce the revised fresh/reissue passport application forms along with the revised passport information booklet, adding that the tatkal scheme also would be implemented effectively with reduced time. Henceforth all the passport booklets will only have emigration check required category stamp and in the case of holders passport booklet without the ECR stamp would be deemed to have been granted ECNR status, said the Goa passport officer. Mr Rokade further said that as part of de-centralisation the passport office, seekers would not have come to passport office for submitting their application and that they could submit the forms at the designated post offices, namely, Head Post Office, Panaji, Margao and Vasco very shortly. He also said one more district passport collection centre would also be opened at the office of the superintendent of police, Margao. These new facilities would definitely help the general public who has to travel to Panaji from far away places for availing passports. He further said that passport office, Panaji, has already introduced online submission, registration of passport applications through its website, http://passportgoa.nic.gov.in. The applicants can submit or register their passport applications on-line and walk into the office with temporary number or copy of their application form to pay the passport fees, he added. Mr Rokade added that during the last one and half years, various measures have been taken to increase the efficiency and streamline the procedure due to which the passport office, Panaji - has been issuing fresh passports within 24 to 27 days, in case of clear police verification report and re-issue of passports within 8 to 10 days in normal course. The ministry of external affairs has recently taken a number of decisions to simplify the passport issuing procedures, which would help reduce time in issue of passports, he added. (www.navhindtimes.com) - Forwarded by www.goa-world.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-index ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Goanet supports BMX, the alumni network of Britto's, St Mary's and Xavier's -- three prominent institutions in Mapusa, Goa. Events scheduled from Dec 16 to 21, 2006 For more details visit http://www.bmxgoa.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------
