The Ministry of External Affairs would positively consider the Telangana Government’s request for setting up of a ‘Videsh Bhavan,’ a fully operational branch of the MEA, in Hyderabad.
Once set up, the Videsh Bhavan was expected to become an effective bridge between the State government and Union Ministry in resolving issues related to issuance of passports and visas, political clearances, and promoting trade and investments from abroad. The development comes in the light of a request made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressing his government’s willingness to give space and provide other facilities required for setting up the Videsh Bhavan here.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary (consular passport visa and overseas Indian affairs) Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay told reporters here on Sunday that the request for a Videsh Bhavan came at his meeting with the Chief Minister on Saturday. Mr. Rao had also made another request for setting up a passport seva kendra at Warangal and the regional passport office has been directed to examine its feasibility.
Explaining about the salient features recently introduced to liberalise the issuing of passports, Dr. Mulay said the Ministry was constantly reforming the processes to make it more efficient and transparent. Several changes relating to entry of date of birth and rules applicable to single mothers had been ushered in in the recent past.
Two pilot projects were launched recently for delivering passports through post offices — one at Mysuru in Karnakata, and the other at Dahod in Gujarat. “Passport at the doorstep is the tagline of the concept,” he said.
The basic philosophy behind the entire exercise was to reach out to as many people as possible, and the project would be extended to more stations based on the response to the pilot projects.
There were other people-centric initiatives like Student Connect wherein passport seva officials would reach out to students by approaching universities, colleges, and educational institutes. Passport camps were being conducted frequently for people living in remote and far-flung areas.
The Ministry was issuing close to 1.3 crore passports every year, including 60,000 passports from the Hyderabad office which stood next only to Lucknow in terms of the number of passports issued.
This was in addition to the services offered by the overseas India Development Foundation for assisting non-resident Indians willing to give something back to the country through philanthropic activities or donations. “One such pilot project is being taken up at Suryapet as an NRI had come forward to create some facilities for the people there,” Dr. Mulay said, adding that the donations being made by the NRIs were completely tax free.
Replying to queries, he said the department was working out modalities for putting in place an e-passport system.
