Kargil, September 2: Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at Kargil in the presence of Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
An official spokesperson said the facility fulfils a long-standing demand of the people of Kargil and adjoining areas, who earlier had to travel to Srinagar or Leh for passport-related services.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor said the new centre would substantially reduce the inconvenience, travel time and expenses faced by residents seeking passport services. He said the facility would particularly benefit students, professionals, entrepreneurs and people travelling abroad for medical treatment, pilgrimage and other purposes.
Saxena expressed gratitude to the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the long-pending demand and bringing passport services closer to the people of Kargil.
He said Leh had received passport services in 2017 and the inauguration of the POPSK in Kargil would provide improved access to passport-related services to residents of both major regions of Ladakh.
The Lieutenant Governor said making government services easily accessible to citizens was central to citizen-centric governance. He added that since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, emphasis had been laid on infrastructure development, Ease of Living and Ease of Services.
He said around 34 government departments in Ladakh now provide public services online, allowing citizens to access several essential services from their homes and reducing the need to visit government offices.
The POPSK has been established through collaboration between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts. The initiative aims to use the postal network to deliver essential citizen services, particularly in remote and geographically challenging areas.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by LAHDC Kargil Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, Haj Committee Chairman Abbas Abidi, LG Advisory Committee member and JUIAK Ladakh president Sheikh Nazir Mehdi Mohammadi, senior administration and police officers, media representatives and prominent citizens.
The new POPSK is expected to make passport services more accessible to residents of Kargil and adjoining areas and further strengthen citizen-centric governance in Ladakh.
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