Passport Seva Mobile Van Launched in Guwahati to Assist Rural Applicants Across Northeast

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken a significant step toward enhancing passport service accessibility in the Northeast with the launch of the Passport Seva Mobile Van under the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Guwahati. The service was officially inaugurated by Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, Joint Secretary of the Passport Seva Project and Chief Passport Officer, at Gauhati University on a Saturday.

The mobile van service aims to address the challenges faced by citizens residing in remote and rural regions of the northeastern states by bringing passport-related services closer to them. These vans are designed to act as “one-stop shops” for the complete passport application process, including form submission, document verification, and biometric data collection. This initiative is seen as an effort to achieve last-mile delivery of government services in underserved areas, ensuring that the residents of these regions do not face barriers in accessing essential identification documents.

Currently, the RPO Guwahati oversees six Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and 19 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs), which cater to six northeastern states. However, these centers often remain out of reach for people in distant villages. The mobile van will bridge this gap by physically reaching such areas. According to Dr. Srinivasa, the passport vans are part of a larger national plan where each of the 37 RPOs in India has been allotted one mobile van. There are future provisions to increase this number to two or three per RPO depending on need and effectiveness.

The launch event was attended by senior officers from RPO Guwahati, TCS (the technology partner for the Passport Seva Project), and representatives from Gauhati University. Dr. Srinivasa also conducted field-level inspections of the RPO and PSK in Guwahati and held discussions with key stakeholders, including Assam’s Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh, Additional DGP Hiren Chandra Nath, and Chief Postmaster General (CPMG) Col Arvind Varma. These interactions focused on improving coordination and efficiency in the passport issuance and delivery processes.

Dr. Srinivasa commended the staff of the Ministry of External Affairs and TCS for their dedication, professionalism, and efforts in maintaining high standards of service. He urged them to continue working with transparency, efficiency, and integrity. His visit also included formal meetings with Assam Governor Laxman Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. During these meetings, he briefed both leaders on the operational success of the passport services and their reach among citizens in the Northeast.

Both the Governor and Chief Minister expressed their satisfaction and appreciation for the MEA’s proactive approach in making passport services more efficient and citizen-friendly, particularly in a region often hampered by logistical challenges. The launch of the Passport Seva Mobile Van is expected to enhance government outreach, streamline documentation services, and reaffirm MEA’s commitment to delivering accessible, reliable, and time-bound citizen services across India’s remotest corners.