Passport Seva Kendra inaugurated in Hanamkonda

Deputy Chief Minister Srihari suggests upgrading it to handle 3,000 applications a month

Hanamkonda: Deputy Chief Minister K Srihari inaugurated Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at head post office in Hanamkonda on Wednesday and described it as ‘Ugadi’ gift to the people in the district. He suggested upgrading the centre to handle 3,000 passport applications per month from the current capacity of issuing 1,000 passports per month. He asked the Regional Passport Officer to initiate measures in that direction.

As Warangal city is the centre for five districts of erstwhile Warangal district and few neighbouring districts, there is a need to increase its capacity. There are institutions like Health University, Kakatiya University and several professional colleges in the city, enhancing the centres’ capacity will help the students get passports to go abroad for higher studies and employment.

Srihari further suggested constructing a permanent building on the head post office premises and asked the Regional Passport Officer and Chief Post Master General to come up with proposals so that the construction can be completed by next year.

‘I along with the local elected representatives and the district administration will take care of raise Rs 40 to 50 lakhs for the construction of the building, provided the capacity of the Passport Seva Kendra has to be increased,’ the Deputy CM promised.

Srihari explained that large number of people from Warangal went to countries like the US, UK, Australia and others and settled there. Their parents and family members felt it difficult to obtain passport as they are forced to travel to Hyderabad to for the purpose.

“We have received many petitions seeking a passport centre set up in Warangal. With the NDA government planning to the set up Passport Seva Kendras at existing post office it is decided to set up the POPSK at Hanamkonda post office,” he said. The Deputy CM commended the efforts made by Regional Passport Officer E Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Warangal Urban District Collector Amrapali Kata and regional post master General Col M Elisha in establishing the centre in a short time.

A one-month-old boy, Puligilla Sriyan, has become the first one to receive passport from the centre. His mother P Bhulakshmi received the passport from the Deputy CM. A government employee M Kiranmayee, who applied for her passport renewal on the first day expressed pleasure at the opening of the centre here.

“The process of submitting application is completed within 15 minutes, which otherwise might have taken a whole day if visited Hyderabad. It is indeed a Ugadi gift to citizens of Warangal,” she told The Hans India.

ZP Chairperson G Padma, MPs V Lakshmikantha Rao and P Dayakar, MLAs D Vinay Bhasker, A Ramesh and T Rajaiah, MLC M Srinivas Reddy, GWMC Mayor N Narender, KUDA Chairman M Yadava Reddy, Commissioner of Police G Sudheer Babu, Chief Post Master General B Chandrashekar and others were present.