AGARTALA, Dec 14 (TIWN): With the aim to check the set up of the Passport seva Kendra at Agartala, four member team of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) arrived in the state on Monday to review the progress works of mini Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Agartala before its formal inauguration.

Sources said that four officials including Golok Kumar Simli (Principal Consultant and head-technology), A.K. Surti-Director MEA, A.K. Jena-project consultant a total of 4 members representative team  arrived in the state on Monday morning from New Delhi and inspected the progress works of mini PSK at old municipal office building at Jackson Gate area of Agartala.Taking a note of the PSK at Jackson gate, the officials expressed satisfaction over the set up and assured that by January the PSK will be inaugurated.

It is to be mentioned here that all the required machineries and equipments are brought in the state and the officers inspected the documentation and the technicalities for the inauguration of the PSK soon.

The much awaited project of opening an international passport centre at Tripura is likely to inaugurate by January 2016.

However, the sources further said that the old AMC office at Jackson gate will be the new international passport centre at Agartala. The sources also confirmed that, earlier Deputy Passport official Ashish Kumar Mirda also held a meeting with Chief Secretary Yash Pal singh and visited the old AMC office at Jackson and expressed satisfaction over the site for setting up the new passport office.

However, it is to be mentioned here that the decision of opening a new international passport centre at Agartala  was conveyed to BJP Maha Jansampark observer Biplab Deb  when he meet External affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj’s private secretary Satish Gupta at New Delhi. Union Ministry has approved the proposal of setting up an international passport centre at Agartala and the probability of setting up the office by November is high.

It may be recalled here that following increasing demand of passport over the years, the state government has been demanding a passport facilitation centre with competent officer to deal with the cases and expedite issuance of passport.

MEA has signed a lease agreement with National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) on August 1, 2015 last in Agartala for setting up of PSK and with the request of the ministry.

If everything falls in the correct place the office will be inaugurated by January 2016 and 90 percent for office setting work is already complete