Shobha Karandlaje urges new passport seva kendra in Bengaluru North to ease overcrowding

Shobha Karandlaje has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to establish a third Passport Seva Kendra in North Bengaluru to alleviate crowd.

Published on: Jul 10, 2025, 14:07:43 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union Minister of State for Labour, Employment, and MSMEs and Bengaluru North MP Shobha Karandlaje has appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs to set up a third Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in the city to cater to the growing demand, particularly in the city’s northern region.

Bengaluru North MP Shobha Karandlaje. (ANI)

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In a letter addressed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, Karandlaje, who represents the Bangalore North parliamentary constituency, highlighted the severe crowding and long wait times at the existing passport centres located in Lalbagh and Marathahalli.

“Both PSKs are overwhelmed by high volumes of applicants, which is causing undue delays and inconvenience—especially for residents of northern Bengaluru,” she noted in her letter.

She proposed that the new centre be established in northwestern Bengaluru, which would help reduce the burden on the existing facilities and improve service efficiency for passport-related services, including new applications, renewals, and documentation updates.

MP urges for toll fare review

In a separate communication, the minister also flagged issues concerning the recent toll hike on NICE Road, calling it arbitrary and burdensome. In a letter to Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Karandlaje urged a review of the revised toll rates, which came into effect on July 1.

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She warned that the increase in toll charges could lead to a ripple effect on public transport fares, particularly on BMTC routes that use NICE Road stretches, such as those servicing Banashankari, Taverekere, and Electronics City.

“Despite the steep toll fees, basic safety features are lacking on NICE Road—there are no proper road markings, accident zone reflectors, signboards, or adequate CCTV surveillance,” she pointed out, demanding that commuters receive value and safety for the tolls they pay.

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