PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Kotdwar
A Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) was inaugurated at Kotdwar in the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday by the Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita along with Garhwal MP Anil Baluni.
Addressing the gathering, Margherita stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Ministry of External Affairs is committed to providing faster, reliable, and transparent passport services to citizens. He emphasised that the expansion of POPSKs in remote and hilly areas aligns with the vision of delivering services at citizens’ doorsteps. He highlighted that Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0 has already been implemented nationwide and that more than 450 POPSKs and 93 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) are operational across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Baluni expressed his gratitude to Margherita for supporting the establishment of this centre. He stated that citizens of Kotdwar and nearby regions will now be able to avail passport services within their own district, thereby saving time and resources. He also appreciated the Ministry of External Affairs for its continued support to Indian citizens abroad, especially during times of crisis.
A number of public representatives, officials from various departments and locals participated in the programme. The initiative is being seen as a significant step towards strengthening regional development and improving citizen-centric services. With the operationalisation of the POPSK at Kotdwar, residents of the region will no longer need to travel to distant cities for passport-related services. The centre is expected to significantly improve accessibility, convenience, and efficiency, marking an important milestone in enhancing public service delivery in Uttarakhand.
Assembly speaker and local MLA Ritu Khanduri, MLAs Dilip Singh Rawat, Raj Kumar Pori, Kotdwar mayor Shailendra Rawat, joint secretary of Passport Seva programme-II S Koventhan,Dehradun regional passport officer Anuj Swarup and Anusuya Prasad Chamola, the director of Postal Services, Uttarakhand Postal Circle were also present on the occasion.
