Guwahati/Kohima, July 14 : As part of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) program, 'Passport Seva Aapke Dwar', a Passport Seva Mobile Van Service was launched for the northeastern region to make the services more accessible to citizens in remote areas, officials said on Monday.

A Nagaland government official said that Joint Secretary for the Passport Seva Project and Chief Passport Officer at the MEA, K.J. Srinivasa, launched the Passport Seva Mobile Van Service at Assam's Gauhati University on Saturday.

The official said that the initiative is part of the MEA's ongoing 'Passport Seva Aapke Dwar' program, aimed at extending passport services to far-flung rural and remote locations in the northeastern region.

The newly-launched mobile van service would be deployed across remote areas in the region, allowing citizens to submit their passport applications conveniently.

This service is set to ensure the last-mile delivery of passports and related services, the official said.

Currently, there are six Passport Seva Kendras and 19 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras operating across six northeastern states excluding Tripura, under the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Guwahati, while Tripura has a Passport Seva Kendra in Agartala.

Joint Secretary Srinivasa highlighted that the mobile van is a 'one-stop shop' where applicants can complete all necessary procedures for passport application submission.

He also noted that one mobile van has been provided to each of the 37 RPOs across the country, with plans to increase the number of vans in the future.

'This initiative is a testament to the Ministry of External Affairs' commitment to improving accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness of passport services,' Srinivasa had said and added, 'We are dedicated to reaching every citizen, especially those in the most remote areas.'

The launch event was attended by senior officials from the RPO Guwahati, TCS, and Gauhati University. The new service is seen as a significant step in providing better access to passport services for citizens living in hard-to-reach areas.

During his visit, Srinivasa also met with key stakeholders, including Assam's Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh, Additional DGP, Hiren Chandra Nath and Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), Colonel. Arvind Varma.

He also took the opportunity to inspect the RPO and Passport Seva Kendra in Guwahati, where he praised the efforts and dedication of all the officials involved in the process, encouraging them to maintain high standards of efficiency, transparency, and integrity.

This latest development marks a significant milestone in the Ministry's broader goal of enhancing accessibility to government services and bringing them closer to the people of India.

/IANS