HYDERABAD: External affairs secretary Dnyaneshwar Mulay has said they would set up a Foreign Bhavan in Hyderabad and a regional passport office (RPO) in Warangal. Mulay said External Affairs officials would visit Warangal shortly to identify the land for the RPO. The Foreign Bhavan would help Telanganaites who go abroad for education and employment.
Mulay called on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday.
The Chief Minister said both the Centre and State governments should prepare a combined action plan for those going abroad for education, employment and jobs.
“There is a need to strengthen the foreign diplomatic missions in our country. Foreign offices should also be opened in the states. Our government is ready to allot land for the Foreign Bhavan and we extend all the help for the External Affairs staff working here. We are ready to work with the Centre in this respect,” the Chief Minister told Mulay.
Rao further asked the external affairs officials to have a discussion with IT Minister K T Rama Rao in this regard.
Mulay announced that regional passport office (RPO) would be set up in Warangal. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari explained the need to have a RPO in Warangal to which Mulay responded positively.
The chief minister also assured that land needed for the Warangal RPO would be allotted. Mulay assured that delays in the issue of passports, visas would also be reduced and measures will be taken to stop cheating by the agents.
He further said Telangana State had become a model state in the country by the speedy issuance of passports. Nowhere in the country police verification for the issue of passports was done in three days as is done in the Telangana, he said. He added they would construct a Foreign Office in the city.