Nagaland gets first Passport Seva Kendra

Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 15  

Union minister of State for External Affairs, Gen (retd) VK Singh, today assured that the time taken for issuance of passport to people from Nagaland would not be more than two weeks like the rest of the country.  

The Minister also promised to find a solution to the arduous and time-taking verification process faced by people of Nagaland while applying for passport.  

Singh said one of the priorities of the BJP-led NDA government after coming to power was to change the interface of the government with the people and opening of Passport Seva Kendras in several towns and cities, including in the North East Region, is a significant step towards that direction.  

The Minister was addressing a public reception after inaugurating the Passport Seva Kendra Dimapur, the first in the state, at the New DC Office Complex, Chumukedima.  

He said to ensure better and speedier facilitation of passport system, the central government had notified that issuance of passport should be completed within two weeks and that this should also be applicable to the state of Nagaland.  

Singh also said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is committed to the ‘Act East Policy’ and focused on Nagaland becoming a “prosperous” state in the country. “I look forward to Nagaland which is rich, positive and as good as the rich cultural heritage of the Naga people”, the former Chief of Army said in his concluding remark.  

Earlier, Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, in his address highlighted the problems faced by passport seekers from the state including the SIB verification, which usually takes 2-3 months. “If this additional verification (SIB) has been done away in other NE states, why not in Nagaland?” Zeliang said and urged the Union Minister to look into this genuine grievance.  

Joint Secretary, Passport Seva Project and Chief Passport Officer, Government of India, Muktesh K Pardeshi, said presently there are 37 passport offices and 86 PSKs in the country issuing 1.2 crore passports annually, the third highest in the world after China and the US.  

Pardeshi expressed optimism that the PSK would soon be connected online to the police districts in Nagaland to make issuance of passports faster and more transparent.