On 13/02/2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) addressed Unstarred Question No. 2508 regarding a proposed Passport Office in Punjab. The question, posed by Shri Sher Singh Ghubaya, inquired about the present status of the Passport Office at Malout in the Muktsar Sahib district of Punjab, the expected operational timeline, and whether the government plans to expedite the process. The Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, responded that in January 2017, the MEA, in association with the Department of Posts (DoP), decided to open Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at Head Post Offices (HPO)/Post Offices (PO) in each Lok Sabha Constituency (LSC) where no existing PSK or POPSK exists. A POPSK is already functional at Firozpur in Firozpur Lok Sabha Constituency. Malout in Muktsar Sahib district falls under Firozpur LSC in Punjab. The Firozpur POPSK releases 80 normal passport category appointments and 10 Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) category appointments daily. Appointments are available in 10 working days for the normal category and on the next working day for PCC category appointments.
Key Entities Referenced
Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK): An initiative to open Seva Kendras at Post Offices for passport services.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): The government ministry responsible for the POPSK initiative along with the Department of Posts.
Punjab: The state where a proposed passport office is located.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2508
ANSWERED ON 13/02/2026
PROPOSED PASSPORT OFFICE IN PUNJAB
†2508. SHRI SHER SINGH GHUBAYA
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the present status of the work of the proposed Passport Office at
Malout in Muktsar Sahib district of Punjab;
(b) the time by which the said passport office is likely to be fully opera-
tional for the general public; and
(c) whether the Government proposes to expedite the process for the
convenience of the people of the said area, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (c) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in association with Depart-
ment of Posts (DoP) had decided in January 2017 to open Seva Kendras at
the Head Post Offices (HPO)/Post Offices (PO) in the country called Post
Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) in each Lok Sabha Constituency
(LSC) where there is no PSK or POPSK. Under this initiative, a POPSK is
1functional at Firozpur in Firozpur Lok Sabha Constituency. Malout in Mukt-
sar Sahib district falls under Firozpur LSC in Punjab.
It is also informed that under this POPSK 80 normal passport cate-
gory and 10 Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) category appointments
are released on a daily basis and appointments are available in 10 work-
ing days for normal category and on next working day for PCC category
appointments.
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