A Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) has been opened in the tribal region of Araku, located in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district. This facility was launched yesterday through a joint effort by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts. It is the 43rd POPSK in India and the eighth under the Visakhapatnam Regional Passport Office (RPO).

The launch ceremony was attended by Araku MP Dr. Gumm Tanuja Rani, Araku MLA Regam Matsyalingam, Chief Passport Officer and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Dr. KJ Srinivas, and other dignitaries.

This POPSK has been established to provide easy access to passport services for citizens, particularly those in remote and underserved areas. The initiative aims to make passport services more accessible to the tribal communities living in and around the Araku Valley.

Residents from tribal-dominated villages across the valley, including areas within the Araku Assembly constituency such as Araku, Palkonda, Kurupam, Parvathipuram, and Paderu, can now avail themselves of passport services. The Rampachodavaram region under the Araku Lok Sabha constituency is also covered. This development brings passport services closer to people in these regions, improving connectivity and accessibility for the tribal population.