Khattar opens state’s first post office passport centre in Karnal

Tribune News Service

Karnal, March 25

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated state's first Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at the head post office here today.

He said two more centres would be started in Hisar and Faridabad soon.

It is a joint venture of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Department of Posts (DOP).

The CM said people would get passport within seven days.

Interacting with mediapersons, Khattar said initially, residents of Jind, Panipat and Karnal would get the facility at the Karnal centre and later, some other districts would be added to it, the CM said. “The Centre has planned to set up similar passport centres in over 450 cities,” said Khattar.

He had announced these passport centres at the Karnal grain market on February 12, while chairing a function on the occasion of the 350th Parkash Ustav of Guru Gobind Singh.

When asked about the Jat agitation, he said after a dialogue with the government, the protesters had been lifting their dharnas. The government had been working towards implementing their demands, said the CM.

Six-year-old Riya, a resident of Ashok Nagar, became the first applicant at the centre. She had come here with her parents.

“We had applied for her passport at the Ambala office, but when we came to know about the Karnal office, we immediately applied for an appointment,” said Babli, Riya’s mother.

The CM was accompanied by Ashwini Chopra, MP; Bakhshish Singh Virk, CPS; Harvinder Kalyan, HAFED chairman; Chander Parkash Kathuria, Sugarfed chairman; Bhagwan Dass Kabirpanthi, Nilokheri MLA; Renu Bala Gupta, Mayor; and others.