Jan 16, Kathmandu- Due to the tendency to wait in line before the turn, the crowd has increased in the passport department at Tripureshwor in Kathmandu. With the introduction of electronic passports by the government, the pressure to create passports has increased.

To manage the crowds, the passport department has introduced a policy of taking time online. After filling the online form from home, the shift is fixed at 11 am, 12 noon, 1 and 2 pm every day. Passports have been provided to those who have time.

Among the health precautionary measures, those who use masks are only allowed to be in the queue. People who maintain social distance, use sanitizer from time to time and adopt safety measures are not seen at all. Officials of the department said that this service should not be postponed due to the epidemic as the government has also included the distribution of passports as an essential service.

The Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu district administrations and district administration offices of each district are distributing electronic passports at a cost of Rs 5,000 within a week. He said that those who want to get the passport within two days do not have to come to the department if they give Rs 12,000.

Three employees of the department have contracted covid-19 infection. Others have also been diagnosed with health problems. Aryal, the director general of the department, says that there is a health problem even if his swab test is negative.

However, people have to wait in line for biometric test when taking an electronic passport. Those who enter the department directly from the crowd outside may be asked to clean their hands by sanitizer, but the body may not be free of infection.