KOHIMA: As part of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) programme, “Passport Seva Aapke Dwar”, a Passport Seva Mobile Van was launched for the northeastern region to make the services more accessible to citizens in remote areas, officials said on Monday.
A Nagaland government official said that Joint Secretary for the Passport Seva Project and Chief Passport Officer at the MEA, K.J. Srinivasa, launched the Passport Seva Mobile Van Service at Assam’s Gauhati University on Saturday.
The official said that the initiative is part of the MEA’s ongoing 'Passport Seva Aapke Dwar' programme, aimed at extending passport services to far-flung rural and remote locations in the northeastern region.
The newly-launched mobile van service would be deployed across remote areas in the region, allowing citizens to submit their passport applications conveniently.
This service is set to ensure the last-mile delivery of passports and related services, the official said.
Currently, there are six Passport Seva Kendras and 19 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras operating across six northeastern states excluding Tripura, under the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Guwahati, while Tripura has a Passport Seva Kendra in Agartala.
Joint Secretary Srinivasa highlighted that the mobile van is a “one-stop shop” where applicants can complete all necessary procedures for passport application submission.
He also noted that one mobile van has been provided to each of the 37 RPOs across the country, with plans to increase the number of vans in the future.
“This initiative is a testament to the Ministry of External Affairs’ commitment to improving accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness of passport services,” Srinivasa had said and added, “We are dedicated to reaching every citizen, especially those in the most remote areas.” (IANS)
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