Kargil, Jun 17: The Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon of LAHDC Kargil on Tuesday emphasized the importance of holding Passport Van Campaign outreach initiatives regularly, ideally once a month, considering the region’s unique needs and increasing demand for passports, particularly for religious pilgrimages.
The CEC made these statements while holding a meeting Tuesday with officials from the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK), including Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Srinagar, B.S. Rawat, Asif Ahmed Shah, and Gurpurpit Singh, to discuss the ongoing three-day Passport Van Campaign in Kargil.
The campaign aims to facilitate the issuance and renewal of passports for residents of Kargil, especially given the district’s remote location and limited access to regular passport services.
The CEC extended heartfelt thanks to the RPO and his team for initiating such a noble and much-needed service for the people of Kargil.
He further noted that a three-day duration is not sufficient to cater to the growing number of applicants and urged the RPO to consider extending the campaign period in future editions. The CEC also stressed the need to expand the reach of such services during peak pilgrimage seasons and to increase the frequency of such initiatives across remote areas of Kargil.
He also requested that proper scheduling and prior dissemination of dates be ensured to avoid inconvenience to applicants. Additionally, he advocated for continued support to Kargil residents not only locally but also through facilitation centers in Srinagar, as many from Kargil travel there for passport-related services.
In response, RPO Srinagar Mr. B.S. Rawat assured that the Passport Van facility will continue in the future and efforts will be made to further ease access in both Srinagar and Leh, along with enhanced outreach in Kargil.
