Dhankuta people receive passports at home

By Our Correspondent, Hile, July 25: A total of 166 residents in Dhankuta have received their passports at their doorsteps under the government's home delivery initiative, eliminating the need for service seekers to make an additional trip to government offices.

The Home Passport Delivery Service, operated through the Department of Postal Services, has now been extended to all seven local governments in the district, according to Ram Kumar Shrestha, Chief of the District Post Office, Dhankuta.

Shrestha said the District Administration Office and the District Post Office signed an agreement on April 28 to implement the service, which officially began on May 15. Since then, 166 beneficiaries have received their passports through eight rounds of deliveries.

The service has reached all three municipalities and four rural municipalities in the district, with postal employees delivering passports directly to recipients' homes.

The government introduced the initiative to make public services more accessible, particularly for residents living in remote areas. Local people say the scheme has significantly reduced the need to travel to the district headquarters, especially for those requiring passports for foreign employment, higher education or other purposes.

Recipients have also reported saving both time and travel costs, as they no longer need to revisit the District Administration Office to collect their passports. Previously, applicants were required to return to the District Administration Office or another designated office once their passports were ready for collection.

Pushpa Lal Dhamala, Administrative Officer at the District Administration Office, said the authorities plan to further strengthen the service, particularly for people living in rural communities.

Although the government has announced plans to deliver both passports and citizenship certificates to citizens' homes, the District Administration Office said postal delivery has not been required for citizenship certificates, as applicants generally receive them shortly after completing the necessary verification process in person.