Rukum West sees decline in citizenship and passport applications

By Our Correspondent,Rukum West, Aug. 10: The District Administration Office (DAO), Rukum West, has reported a decrease in the number of people applying for new citizenship and passports. The number of new citizenship and passport applicants declined in the last fiscal year 2024/25, compared to the previous fiscal year 2023/2024.

Chief District Officer Kul Bahadur G.C, stated that a total of 5,648 new citizenship certificates were issued in the last fiscal year, whereas 5,802 were distributed in the previous fiscal year. He also informed about the activities carried out by the DAO. According to him, a total of 2,890 passports were issued in the fiscal year 2024/25, while 3,358 were issued in the fiscal year 2023/24.

According to the DAO, a total of 3,503 copies of citizenship certificates were issued in the previous fiscal year, whereas 4,368 copies were issued in the last fiscal year. The administration reported that one person renounced citizenship and three others had their citizenship revoked last year. CDO G.C mentioned that the reasons behind the decrease in citizenship and passport applications are being investigated. It is speculated that the decline in passport applications is due to a decrease in the number of people seeking foreign employment.

However, the number of national ID registrations in the district has doubled. In fiscal year 2023/24, 6,304 individuals registered for the national ID, whereas in fiscal year 2024/25, the number increased to 12,897. The administration has distributed 6,534 national ID cards. The recent requirement of a national ID for government services has led to a rise in the number of applicants.

In the fiscal year 2024/25, DAO collected revenue totaling Rs. 162 billion. The revenue was collected under various headings, including judicial fees, exam fees, passport fees, arms permit fees, administrative fines, confiscations, and others.

The office reported an expenditure of Rs. 4.6 million under capital and Rs. 20.5 million under recurrent headings.