Patna, Jan. 27: Citizens wanting passports will not have to run from pillar to post from February. They will be able to complete the necessary formalities within hours at the new passport office in the city.

The new office at Ashiana Mor was supposed to open by the end of this month. Its opening was postponed to the first week of February because of delay in construction work. Sources claim once the office becomes functional, it will save time and energy of passport seekers.

Anand Kumar, regional passport officer, Patna, said: “The regional passport office in Patna is being developed as a Passport Seva Kendra under the Passport Seva Project. This will make the process of acquiring passports easy and less time-consuming.”

The Passport Sewa Project is an acclaimed joint initiative of the Union ministry of external affairs and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

To make the delivery of passports easier, the number of counters at the new office — 15,000sqft in area — will be increased to 44. The present regional passport office has only eight counters. The working hours of the passport office will also be extended. At present, the office is open from 10am to 1.30pm. The new office will be open from 9.30am to 5pm.

Citizens are hopeful that the new office, where most of the officials will be TCS employees, will be a paradigm of corporate efficiency.

Gaya resident Salim Khan, who had come to enquire about his passport today, said: “As the number of counters will increase, passport seekers will not have to stand in queue for the formalities.”