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NT Bureau
Chennai, Aug 24:
 

        The Ministry of External Affairs will open a Branch Secretariat tomorrow in Chennai.

        This is third such office to be opened by the Ministry as two others are located in Kolkata and Hyderabad.

        Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee will be inaugurating the Branch Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, and the function would take place at Taj Coromandel.

        Giving details to presspersons here yesterday, Regional Passport Officer Sumathi Ravichandran said the Branch Secretariat would meet the long-standing demand of Tamilnadu and other southern States and it would be located on Seventh Floor of EVK Sampath Building, College Road, Nungambakkam.

        Sumathi Ravichandran would take charge as director and head of the Branch Secretariat and it would have an under-secretary and secretarial staff.

        'The Branch Secretariat would advise the State government on issues concerning promotion of overseas trade and investments, facilitation of political clearances for State government delegations visiting abroad, coordination with the State protocol for the visits of foreign dignitaries to Tamilnadu', said Sumathi Ravichandran.

        She also said the Branch Secretariat would undertake outreach activities and aimed at promoting understanding of India's foreign policy and facilitate meetings of visiting Indian Ambassadors/High Commissioners/Consuls General with local officials on issues relating to trade and cultural exchanges.

        'As there are about nine Consul Generals, two Deputy High Commissioners and 28 Honorary Consuls located in Chennai, it would be easy for them to interact and facilitate day-to-day function with the Branch Secretariat', she added.

        To a query about passports, Sumathi said jumbo booklets of 64 pages would be introduced soon to prevent frequent renewals and to facilitate the travellers.