Uncollected passports pile up in Makwanpur, DAO begins postal delivery

By Rammani Dahal, Makwanpur, Apr. 18: There has been a growing trend of people not collecting their passports on time from the District Administration Office (DAO) Makwanpur after applying for them for various purposes.

With an increasing number of applicants failing to collect passports issued for foreign employment, study, travel and other purposes, managing and distributing passports has become a challenge for the Office. 

In a solution to this, the DAO has begun sending passports to recipients via the postal service. The initiative has been introduced in line with the government’s 100-point governance reform plan, which aims to deliver services, including passports, directly to citizens’ homes.

The office has publicly requested individuals whose passports are ready to clarify whether they will collect them in person or prefer delivery by post.

According to Ramesh Lamichhane, Chief of the District Postal Office, passport delivery to homes began on Wednesday. Within three days until Friday, 76 passports were delivered to various locations within Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City through postal staff.

He said the administration contacts applicants via phone, and if they agree for postal delivery, passports are sent to their homes. A fee of Rs. 40 is charged for a standard letter, and Rs. 55 for delivering a passport.

The DAO stated that passports of applicants who applied up to April 3 this year have already been prepared and received. However, more than 650 passports remain uncollected.

Although the plan includes delivering passports and national identity cards to homes, the service is currently limited to the Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City area.

Lamichhane said expanding the service to rural areas is currently not feasible due to a lack of manpower, transport and security concerns. He added that even within the municipality, poor road access has made it difficult for postal workers to reach the homes of a few individuals.

He said the postal office lacks vehicles and must rely on staff with personal transport, without additional allowances or fuel provisions.

He also noted that the current communication allowance of Rs. 1,000 for postal staff is insufficient given the increased workload.

Tanahun begins home delivery of passports

Meanwhile, our Tanahun correspondent Amar Raj Naharki adds: The District Administration Office (DAO) Tanahun has begun delivering passports directly to people’s homes.

The DAO has introduced the service in coordination with the District Postal Office, enabling passports to be delivered to the doorsteps of service recipients, thus removing the need for people to travel for hours to the district headquarters to collect passports. 

The service has been launched in line with the government's 100-point governance reform agenda (point no. 27), which commits to providing passports at home. Speaking at the launch of the service, Chief District Officer Shiva Lal Tiwari, said the initiative follows the government’s policy of taking public services to citizens’ doorsteps. “This service will continue through the postal system to ensure passports are delivered directly to people’s homes,” he said.

According to Tiwari, applicants are now given the option at the time of applying to either collect their passport from the office or have it delivered at home. Those opting for home delivery will receive the service through the postal office.

Chief of the District Postal Office, Tanahun, Shirish Upadhyaya, said four individuals received their passports at home on the first day of the campaign. “We have coordinated with the administration to ensure safe delivery of passports to the recipients’ homes,” he said.

The service was formally launched on Thursday with the delivery of a passport to Samiksha Ojha of Byas Municipality–5, Sange Barbote, in the presence of CDO Tiwari, Assistant CDO Deepak Regmi and Postal Office Chief Upadhyaya.

Ojha said she was pleased to receive the passport at home within 15 days without hassle. Her father, Shiva Raj Ojha, said the service made him feel that the government had arrived at people’s doorsteps. Her mother, Sushila Ojha, said the service saved both time and travel costs, especially during the farming season.

Likewise, Regmi said the initiative would save time and money for citizens and improve satisfaction with public services.