Kathmandu, July 17 -- The Prime Minister's Office has formed a cross-ministerial panel of experts and government officials to investigate technical glitches and support the rollout of the new passport system introduced by the Department of Passports under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The panel, led by National Planning Commission member Professor Sudan Jha, has been tasked with examining technical problems affecting passport issuance, recommending corrective measures, and reviewing the financial and technical aspects of the passport project, including agreements with two German companies and related operational issues, an aide to Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the Post.

Jha, an information and communication technology expert, is ...