The Trichy and Thanjavur Passport Seva Kendras (PSK), two of the 77 centres being set up across the country to make simpler and easier the process of passport issuance, were launched on Wednesday. The scheme, being carried out in partnership with IT major TCS Ltd., promises to simplify the issuance of passports whereby applicants only have to show up at the Kendras with relevant documents and they will be guided by people deployed by TCS through the formalities.

Among other things, applicants would be helped to fill up the necessary forms and record their biometric measurements, Passport Seva Project Director A K Sobti said here during the inauguration of the Tiruchirappalli Seva Kendra.

Sobti however said the issuance of the passport would only be done by the Regional Passport Office. TCS, which would "take care of the front office services," would not handle any sensitive data, he said.

Sobti said PSKs, a public private partnership scheme initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on a mission mode under National eGovernance plan, had already been launched in six other places besides Trichy and said they would be inaugurated in another 70 locations within the next 7-8 months.

The Project director said even the ordinary application could be processed within six days for the issuance of new passport pending the verification report received from the state police authorities.