Baleswar passport centre inaugurated

A passport centre in the district, which had been a longstanding public demand, became operational at the Head Post Office here on Saturday after its inauguration by Baleswar MP RK Jena. 

“Gone are the days when applicants had to wait for months to obtain passports. One can obtain it maximum within a month as police verification is completed with 15 days of receipt of application under the Odisha Service Rules Act,” Jena said, adding that people from here would no longer have to go to Bhubaneswar wasting time and money to get passports.

External Affairs Joint Secretary Manoj Mohapatra, Regional Passport Officer Digvijay Giri, Chief Post Master General, Bhubaneswar Circle SK Kamila, Remuna MLA Gobinda Das, district Collector RC Rout and SP Niti Sekhar also addressed the meeting.

Dr Giri said that while Rourkela, Sambalpur and Koraput got Post Office Passport Seva Kendras in the first phase, Baleswar had in the second phase to be followed by Brahmapur, Baripada and Bhawanipatna  by March 3.

“In Baleswar, we will process 40 applications in a day. Maximum within a month, one can get a passport. People of Bhadrak can also avail the facility here,” said Giri.