Achuthanandan seeks a fifth passport office

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will soon boast a new passport office, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan told the State Assembly yesterday.

The new facility will be the fifth such in the state. Achuthanandan said the government had already approached the Union Government with the proposal for a passport office in Mavelikara town of Alappuzha district.

Only state with 4 offices

Kerala is the only state in the country to have four passport offices. The fourth centre was opened in Malappuram district in the northern region last year while the other three are in Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

"We have already taken up this issue with the Centre because a passport office to cater to Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta is a must if you look into the number of passport applications from these three districts."

Achuthanandan observed that, of the total of 55,727 passports issued by the Thiruvananthapuram office till July 7 this year, 11,317 were in the name of people from Pathanamthitta.

"Likewise, of the 87,906 passports issued by the Kochi passport office till July 7, 15,630 were issued to people from Kottayam while 11,290 were given to people from Alappuzha district. This clearly shows that a fifth passport office in central Kerala is a must."