By March, Karnataka to get 11 more passport service centres

Belagavi

: Karnataka will get 11 more

passport service centres

by the end of March, informed

Dnyaneshwar Mulay

, secretary, consular, passport, visa and overseas Indian affairs, ministry of external affairs, here on Wednesday.

In the first phase, passport offices are being launched in

Mysuru

, Belagavi,

Davanagere

and Hasan.

Raichur

,

Gadag

,

Ballari

,

Shivamogga

,

Udupi

,

Tumakuru

and

Vijayapura

have been included in the second phase, said Mulay at the inaugural programme of

Post Office Passport Seva Kendra

(

POPSK

) at Belagavi head post office. These 11 passport offices are in addition to the existing offices in Lalbagh, Marathahalli (both Benagaluru),

Hubballi

,

Mangaluru

and

Kalaburagi

.

The country had 92 passport offices till 2014 and the government is adding 251 more by March. The opening of POPSK in Belagavi — the first such facility in North Karnataka — is 63rd in the series. Mulay said that Karnataka will get passport office in every second district, thanks to the initiative by minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj.

BJP, Cong MPs lock horns over district status

The launch of POPSK saw MPs

Prakash Hukkeri

and Suresh Angadi lock horns over the demand to grant district status to Chikkodi and Gokak.

Congressman Hukkeri, who represents Chikkodi, said that the district status will soon be granted. “Once Chikkodi gets the district status, I will approach the ministry of external affairs to launch a passport service centre in Chikkodi,” said Hukkeri.

However, Belagavi MP Suresh Angadi, who is from the BJP, strongly opposed the proposal of dividing the district. “I appeal to CM Siddaramaiah not to heed to the demand of granting district status to Chikkodi. If required, the government can appoint an additional DC for Chikkodi for administrative purposes,” he stated.

Angadi said that Belagavi is the second capital of the state and biggest district as well. “Prakash Hukkeri needs to study the history before making any demand,” he said.