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Immigration department to decentralize
Saturday, 28 January 2006 - 1:17 AM SL Time
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The Department of Immigration and Emigration is to decentralize its actives to the Anuradhapura, Kandy and Matara Regions shortly in order to ensure that an applicant receives his or her passport within five full days after handing over properly certified applications, Chief Controller of Immigration and Emigration P. D. Abeykoon said yesterday.
He admitted that this was made possible due to the policies in the Mahinda Chinthanya ensuring that passports be in the reach of every common man. He said the President had directed him to expedite the issue of passports by setting up Regional Offices and stream lining the present procedure followed by Divisional Secretariats.
He said that in future Estate, Superintendents, Labour Officers Post Masters, Principals, and authorized officers of the three forces could be certifying officers for passport applications.
He said that an Assistant controller of Immigration and Emigration would head the Regional Offices at Matara, Kandy and Anuradhapura with each having around seven members of staff.
Though the Department has stiff financial Regulation he had requested the Government Agents in these Regions to identify three offices to be rented out for the start.
He said that President`s attention was also focused on the problems faced by applicants due to rapid increase of `one day issue` passports and over the news item to the effect that the Department Would be shifted else where.
He said that the decision to shift to Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha in Punchi Borella had been taken a year ago.
He said that under the new procedure Samurdhi officers and social service officers could also attest applications.
He said that applications for passports, when handed over to the officer at a Regional office, would be forward to the head office by night mail trains, to reach Colombo the next morning and new passport would be despatched to Regional Office within five days or to reach one`s home by Post if requested.
The necessity of adopting the international standards particularly in `One Day Issue` passports and that of security measures were also emphasized by the President and instructions were given accordingly , the Chief Controller said.
He said that the handing over of the applications to the office concerned well in advance would enable the applicants to obtain a passport conveniently with less expenses and arrangements have been made to obtain applications for passports through Regional Secretariats, Post Offices, District Secretariats and the internet.
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