Panaji, Jun 22 (TOI): The state government has written a letter to the Union ministry of external affairs to permit the opening of a new passport office branch in South Goa, to avoid inconveniencing those living in remote areas of South Goa with a trip to Panaji to avail passport and related services.

In a letter to Union minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar stated that to further facilitate the large Goan diaspora living in different parts of the world as well as people from the state, particularly those living in remote areas of South Goa, to avail of passport and related services, it would be appropriate to open a passport office branch in South Goa. He stated that space could be provided for in the new collectorate building at Margao.

"The opening a branch office would reduce travel time and transportation costs considerably. Besides, this would reduce the tremendous work load on the regional passport office in Panaji and enable the ministry of external affairs to provide better services to the people of north and south Goa," Parsekar added

The demand for a passport office in South Goa is a long pending one. South Goa residents had apprised NRI commissioner Wilfred Mesquita on the need to have a passport office in Margao, who in turn had written to the ministry of external affairs about the same while informing the ministry that South Goa has 66% emigrant households while North Goa has 34%.

Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik has also been demanding a passport office for South Goa for a while.