KATHMANDU, Nov. 22 -- The government has decided to purchase 700,000 electronic passports from the current supplier to address an immediate shortage during the ongoing transition to a new production system.

A Cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar on Friday authorised the Department of Passports (DoP) to procure the passports through a variation order until regular issuance resumes through the new supplier, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel, who also serves as the government spokesperson.

The move comes amid a critical shortage of passport booklets after the government terminated its contract with the French company IDEMIA. The DoP has been operating in a transitional phase as a new suppli...