By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 19, 2017: Odisha will have three more Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) in Balasore, Berhampur and Bhawanipana.

“I am pleased to inform you that we have decided to open Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) in Balasore, Berhampur and Bhawanipatna in the second phase of this scheme,” Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said in a letter to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In his letter to Swaraj last month the Petroleum minister requested for seven passport seva kendras in Odisha in Angul, Berhampur, Balasore, Kendrapara, Bolangir, Jajpur and Bhawanipatna as the places requiring the POPSKs/PSKs.

Earlier in March this year, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also taken up the said issue with the External Affair Minister during his meeting at New Delhi.

Swaraj, on Saturday, announced opening of 149 new POPSKs which will be set up in the second phase.

Notably, 86 such centres at Head Post Offices have already been set up in the first phase of which 52 are now already functional.

Meanwhile, Pradhan thanked the foreign minister for considering his request. “Sincere thanks to Hon’ble EAM @SushmaSwaraj Ji for positively considering my request for opening of PSKs at Balasore, Berhampur and Bhawanipatna,” Pradhan tweeted.