New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) Passport applicants will now be able to apply for police clearance certificates (PCCs) at all online post office passport seva kendras, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

The MEA is the nodal ministry for the issuance of passports.

Also Read | #BJP President #JPNadda Tore into Chief Minister #PinarayiVijayan … – Latest Tweet by IANS India.

The PCCs are a pre-requisite for the issuance of passports to the applicants.

Often, the issuance of the PCCs by the local police takes time that results in a delay in the grant of passports.

Also Read | Bengaluru Shocker: Man Stabs Wife to Death After Fight Over Daughter’s Wedding.

"To address the unanticipated surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), the ministry has decided to include the facility to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India, starting from September 28," the MEA said in a statement.

"This step would significantly add to the availability of PCC appointment slots, and at an earlier date," it added.

The MEA further said: "The action taken by the ministry in extending this PCC application facility to POPSKs would not only help Indian citizens seeking employment abroad, but also meet the demand for other PCC requirements, such as in the case of education, long-term visa, emigration etc."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)