Tamil Nadu today became the second state in the country to be covered by the Passport Seva Kendra project.

"Tamil Nadu has become the second state in the country to be covered by Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). Now, the state has four Pass Port offices and eight Passport Seva Kendras," Muktesh K Pardeshi, Joint Secretary and Chief Passport Officer, Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters here.

Passport Seva Kendra was conceptualised in May 2010 and Karnataka became the first state to be covered under the pilot project, he said.

As planned, a total of 77 Passport Seva Kendras will come up across the country "by early 2012", with 18 of them having already become operational, Pardeshi said.

"Once we are through with the project of 77 PSKs, we are planning small PSKs in places like Puducherry," he said. PTI DSJ RC DBR RBT 09162047