Passport Seva Kendra at the State Convention Centre in the city on Friday. (ST)
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma inaugurated the much awaited Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) here on Friday.
The PSK was scheduled to be inaugurated by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj but she had to cancel her visit to Shillong at the eleventh hour “due to bad weather conditions.”
Dedicating the Kendra to the people of the State, the Chief Minister in his address, expressed his gratitude to the Union Government for responding to the needs of the people of Meghalaya, adding that the opening of the Kendra was all the more significant as it coincided with the 125th birth anniversary of Late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India and a great visionary leader.
The Passport Seva Kendra was inaugurated at the Lower Lachumiere area of the city in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Passport), Rowell Lyngdoh, former Chief Minister & Chief Adviser to the Government of Meghalaya, DD Lapang Home Minister, Roshan Warjri, IPR Minister AL Hek and officials from the Union Ministry of External Affairs, besides others.
An impressive function was organized by the Union Ministry of External Affairs, CPC Division, at State Convention Centre thereafter where the the Chief Minister unveiled the plaque “to mark the momentous occasion.”
Earlier, while reading out the speech of Union External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Joint Secretary, MEA, Muktesh Pardeshi said that the North Eastern region is of great importance for the Union Government.
He also informed that the work for the PSKs in Arunachal Pradesh, Aizawl and Manipur is going on in full swing and would be ready by early 2015. Pardeshi said that the ministry plans to open 16 PSKs in the entire region and the Union Government is vigorously pursuing the Look East Policy which would open up new avenues for the entire region.
Meghalaya Chief Secretary BPO Warjri also asserted that the PSK would be a boon for the people of the state and the neighbouring districts of Cachar in Assam.
Advisor to Meghalaya Government, DD Lapang and Rajya Sabha MP Wansuk Syiem also spoke on the occasion.
The much awaited passport office was set up to facilitate easy access to passport services for the people of the State. The PSK Shillong is integrated with the other 77 PSKs in the country set up and operationalised under Passport Seva Project (PSP)-a high impact citizen-centric e-governance initiative as part of National e-Governance Plan. More than two crore passport service applications have been processed so far under the new system which is fully online.