In what could be a major relief for residents of Wayanad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sanctioned a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) in Kalpetta, the district headquarters.
This initiative will ease the difficulties faced by Wayanad residents, who have to travel via the Thamarassery or Kuttiyadi-Pakramthalam Ghat Roads to reach the existing Passport Seva Kendras in Kozhikode or Vadakara.
“The Seva Kendra processes 150 to 200 applications daily from Wayanad. The Kalpetta POPSK will address a long-standing disparity, as Wayanad was the only district in north Kerala without such a facility. It will be opened to the public before April 15 as a Vishu gift. Infrastructure facilities are fully in place,” K. Arunmohan, Regional Passport Officer, told The Hindu.
Despite the Ministry’s policy of ensuring a Passport Seva Kendra or a similar facility in every parliamentary constituency, a proposal to set up centres at Mananthavady in Wayanad and Tirur was put forward several years ago but was never implemented. “Now, another POPSK is coming up at Thavanur in Ponnani, and it will possibly be commissioned before June,” Mr. Arunmohan said, adding that the centres would be manned by post office personnel and a verifying officer from the MEA.
At present, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Kozhikode caters to five districts—Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, Wayanad, and Malappuram—as well as the Union Territory of Mahe. Passport Seva Kendras are functioning in Kannur, Payyannur, Kozhikode, Vadakara, and Malappuram. The first POPSK under the regional office was opened at the Kasaragod Head Post Office in March 2017.
“The Kozhikode RPO, which issues more passports than the other two passport offices in Kerala, launched a mobile passport van for on-site processing in remote areas last September. This project has benefited many residents in Wayanad and Malappuram districts,” Mr. Arunmohan pointed out.
Published – March 07, 2025 08:29 pm IST