Renewal of passport made easy - Address on the old passport will suffice as residence proof

Report by Eugene Moodubelle

Udupi, 14 January 2010: Persons who return from foreign countries following the expiry of their visas and would like to renew their passport need no longer worry to produce residential address proof for police inquiry as the address in the previous passport will be considered by the police department as the proof of residence for inquiry. This information was provided by the Udupi District Superintendent of Police during the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting held on Wednesday, 13th January 2010 at 11 AM at the Udupi District Zilla Panchayat.

Realising the difficulties that have been faced by the those persons returning from abroad and requiring to renew their passport, in the absence of their names in the family ration card or not having the voters identity card as the proof of residence for the police inquiry, Mr. Gerald Fernandes, Chairman of the Social Justice Committee, Udupi Zilla President had earlier raised this issue in the KDP meeting held on 11th November 2009.

Mr. Gerald Fernandes had pointed out that those persons who come for few days from abroad would not be able to stay for the mandatory six months period in order to have their names included in the family ration card as their names might have been already struck off as they had been living abroad. Neither they are in a position to have voters identity card. Following detailed discussion in the quarterly KDP meeting, it was decided that in the next meeting the matter could be taken up and whatever decisions that will take place in the meeting would be communicated to the government for consideration.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat (letter No.20/SB/UD/2010 (General) from the Superintendent of Police (SP) dated 12th January 2010, it was stated that those persons who have gone abroad from the Udupi District return to their native place after the expiry of their visas and if they have to renew their passport need not produce the ration card if their name is not included in the family ration card and can submit the same address as mentioned in the original passport for the necessary police inquiry. Moreover, if their names are not included in the family ration card any other residential proof such as the bank passbook or voters identity card or driving license will be considered by the police department as the proof of their residence.

This directive from the Superintendent of the Police has come as a great relief to those persons coming from abroad whose passports require renewal. Thanks to Mr. Gerald Fernandes.