Kargil gets Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, brings passport services closer to residents

Residents of Kargil can now access passport-related services closer to home with the inauguration of a new Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) in the district on Wednesday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh and Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated the facility at the Sub Post Office in Kargil. The centre has been established by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Department of Posts.

Second passport centre in Ladakh

The Kargil facility is the second Passport Seva Kendra in Ladakh after the POPSK in Leh, which has been operational since 2017. It is also the 457th POPSK in the country.

The new centre addresses a long-standing demand from Kargil residents, who previously had to travel to Leh and Srinagar for passport-related services. Its opening is expected to reduce the time, travel and expenses involved in obtaining passports for people in Kargil and nearby areas.

The facility is expected to be particularly useful for residents requiring passports for Haj and Umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia and other countries, as well as those travelling abroad for education and employment.

Focus on easier access to services

Speaking at the inauguration, Saxena said the centre was an important step towards last-mile delivery of citizen-centric services in Ladakh. He thanked the Prime Minister, Ministry of External Affairs and department of Posts for addressing the long-pending demand from Kargil.

The L-G said bringing essential services closer to people was part of the government's vision of “Ease of Living”, particularly in remote and geographically challenging regions such as Ladakh. He expressed confidence that the centre would provide fair, efficient, transparent and hassle-free passport services.

Centre to serve remote areas

Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Kargil POPSK was part of efforts to expand passport services to remote and underserved areas. He said the initiative aims to make these services more accessible, efficient and citizen-friendly.

The inauguration was attended by Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, LAHDC Kargil Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, along with senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Posts and the Union Territory administration.