Third passport kendra in offing in Ahmedabad

Spelling good news for those heading abroad, the city may soon have a third passport seva kendra (PSK). If the proposal mooted by the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) recently is accepted, the new PSK will cater to nearly 550 people per day.

Regional Passport Officer ZA Khan told DNA they had sent a proposal to the ministry of external affairs a month ago. He said they came up with the idea as there is ample space available on the ground floor of the regional passport office. With Ahmedabad PSK serving seven districts including Gandhinagar, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Patan, Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha and Kheda, an additional kendra would also enable officials to process applications faster.

“Space available at the RPO will allow us to start at least 10 counters, which will have a capacity to handle around 550 appointments a day,” said Khan.

Currently, Ahmedabad has two PSKs __ near Vijay Crossroads and at Mithakali __ that deal with around 550 appointments each daily. The RPO is witnessing a greater rush especially after it started giving appointments within 36 hours of getting an application.

Like the other PSKs, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will service the proposed kendra too.

A total of 20 districts are in the jurisdiction of Ahmedabad RPO.