With announcement of polls, launch of Passort Seva Kendra in Siliguri deferred

With the declaration of elections to the four Hill municipalities in the Darjeeling Hills in May resulting in the clamping of the model code of conduct, the inauguration of the a Passport Seva Kendra in Siliguri slated for April 18 was put on hold.

A letter from Bibhuti Bhushan Kumar, Regional Passport Officer, Kolkata stated: "In view of the imposition of Model Code of Conduct on account of announcement of the Municipal General Election 2017 in the Urban Local Bodies of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Mirik (among others) in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, the inauguration of Passport Seva Laghu Kendra (PSLK) Siliguri, that was scheduled for 18 April 2017 has been deferred.The revised schedule for inauguration shall be conveyed in due course."

Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong Municipalities will be going to polls on May 14.

The PSLK Siliguri office located at Himachal Vihar at Matigara, Siliguri is slated to become the third passport office in West Bengal.

Applicants who have already received appointments with the Siliguri centre can either undergo the process at the Calcutta passport office on any working day or they can wait for the inauguration of the Siliguri centre, stated officials of the Kolkata Passport centre.

Till the Siliguri Passport office is not inaugurated, no fresh appointments for the Siliguri office will be issued stated passport officials, Kolkata.