Key Takeaways:

• Rolled out across all seven local levels (3 municipalities, 4 rural municipalities)
• Initiative coordinated by Department of Postal Services
• Citizenship certificates delivery planned but not yet implemented

DHANKUTA, JULY 25 Residents of remote parts of Dhankuta no longer need to make repeated trips to government offices to collect their passports, with 166 people having received the travel document at their doorstep under a home delivery service. The service, launched through coordination between the District Administration Office and the District Post Office, has been rolled out across all seven local levels-three municipalities and four rural municipalities-as part of the government's initiative to deliver public services directly to citizens. According to District Post Office Chief Ram Kumar Shrestha, the passports have been delivered to beneficiaries in eight rounds under the Department of Postal Services' 'Passport Home Delivery Service'. Three applicants who had not initially registered for home delivery later collected their passports from the District Administration Office. The service began on May 15 following an agreement signed between the District Administration Office and the District Post Office on April 27. Officials said the initiative is aimed at reducing the burden on citizens who previously had to travel to the district headquarters more than once to obtain their passports. The programme has been particularly beneficial for people seeking passports for foreign employment, higher education and other purposes. Service recipients said the initiative has saved both time and travel expenses. Chhathar Rural Municipality resident Chhatra Bahadur Limbu said the new system has ended the need to revisit the District Administration Office after passport issuance. Instead, passports are now delivered to applicants' homes through the postal service in coordination with local governments. Administrative Officer Pushpa Lal Dhamala at the District Administration Office said the service would be expanded further to make it more effective, particularly for residents of rural areas. While the government also plans to deliver citizenship certificates to citizens' homes, officials said the service has not been implemented as citizenship documents are generally issued shortly after applicants complete the required procedures at the administration office.