From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Following demand from several quarters, the Centre has finally agreed to open a pass port office in Shillong.
“With a view to extend the passport issuance network, Government is working on setting up of Passport Seva Laghu Kendras (PSLKs) at various locations in the country including Shillong,” said E Ahamed, the minister of State for External Affairs.
Ahamed said this in response to a letter issued by Meghalaya’s lone representative in Rajya Sabha Wansuk Syiem.
Wansuk in her letter had urged the External Affairs Ministry to immediately open passport offices in Shillong and Tura to ease the burden of hundreds of passport applicants from the Hill State. “People from the State face difficulty in travelling to Guwahati to obtain their passports,” she had said in her letter.
The Ministry agreed with Wansuk’s view that people had to travel to Guwahati and undergo lot of hardship for a passport.
“Under the new system, passport applicants are required to be present in person at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) to give their photographs and biometrics for uploading in the system along with their personal particulars, to avoid incidences of impersonation and duplicity,” the Minister’s letter said.
Verification of documents and granting of passports are also done in the presence of passport applicants and accordingly, citizens from Meghalaya are required to travel to PSK, Guwahati for completion of requisite formalities for issue of passports, he added.