Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the number of post-offices where passport service centres have been opened in the country till date, State-wise;
(b) whether the Government proposes to set up passport service centres in rural areas and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the number of passport service centres set up in post-offices in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI M. J. AKBAR)
(a) 55 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) out of the 86 announced in Phase-I have been opened as on 15 July, 2017 as per Annexure-I. The list of POPSK announced in Phase-I and not yet functional is at Annexure-II.
(b) The Government has announced on 17 June, 2017 the opening of 149 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) in Phase-II. The list is at Annexure-III. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts (DOP) have decided to utilize the Head Post Offices (HPO) in the various States as Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) for delivering passport related services to the citizens of the country. The Government intends to open POPSK in the HPO in the country in such a manner that there is a Passport Seva Kendra available within a radius of 50 km of every HPO.
(c) This is at Annexure-I, II and III.