Balurghat to get Passport Seva Kendra, courtesy Arpita Ghosh

BALURGHAT: Following Trinamool leader and Balurghat MP Arpita Ghosh's initiative, Ministry of External Affairs will introduce a new Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Balurghat shortly.

It has been decided that the PSK will start functioning through the Post Office in Balurghat. It was a long-standing demand of the Balurghat residents.

Notably, the city people had urged Ghosh to raise the issue in Parliament and to talk to External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, so that the demand could be materialised.

In a recent letter to Ghosh, Swaraj had delivered the news of introducing the service in Balurghat.

Meanwhile, a similar service has already been introduced in the neighbouring Raiganj and Malda.

PSKs are extended arms of Passport Offices and they can cover the tasks of receiving application from the applicant for the issuance of passport and related services.

It has been a part of e-governance for the betterment of public services, while MEA had launched Passport Seva Project in 2010, with best in class amenities throughout the country in PPP mode.

Ghosh said: "I received information from MEA that Balurghat will soon get a Passport Seva Kendra, thus getting a long-pending demand

from the locals, fulfilled. I had raised the issue in Parliament too and talked to the concerned minister for introducing a PSK in my Parliamentary constituency."