Kargil gets second passport seva kendra | Check details here

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday inaugurated a post office passport seva kendra (POPSK) here, expanding passport services closer to people in the remote district and adjoining areas.

The POPSK, established by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Department of Posts at the sub-post office, Kargil, is the second passport seva kendra in Ladakh after Leh and the 457th POPSK in the country, officials said.

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The facility fulfils a long-pending demand of Kargil residents, who earlier had to travel to Leh and Srinagar for passport-related services, officials said.

Its establishment is expected to reduce the time, travel and expenditure involved in obtaining passports and particularly benefit people travelling abroad for education and employment as well as those undertaking Haj and Umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, they said.

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Speaking at the inauguration, Saxena said the new centre is another step towards ensuring last-mile delivery of citizen-centric services in Ladakh and bringing essential government services closer to people in remote and geographically challenging areas.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts for fulfilling the long-pending aspiration of the people of Kargil.

Saxena expressed confidence that the facility would provide fair, efficient, transparent and hassle-free passport services.

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Singh said the establishment of POPSK Kargil was part of the government's continued efforts to expand passport services to remote and underserved areas and make them more accessible, efficient and citizen-friendly.

He said the initiative, being implemented under the leadership of PM Modi and the guidance of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, is aimed at making passport services more accessible and citizen-centric.

The facility will enable applicants to avail themselves of passport-related services closer to home, offering relief to residents who earlier had to travel to Srinagar or other distant centres for such services, Superintendent of Post Offices, Ladakh Postal Division, Arvind Kher said.

The opening of the POPSK underscores efforts to leverage the extensive postal network for delivering essential citizen services, particularly in remote and underserved areas, he added.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, LAHDC-Kargil Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, besides senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Posts and the UT administration.