Accelerated programme to issue NICs to one million
 

by Manjula Fernando

The Government has launched an accelerated programme to issue National Identity Cards to an estimated one million people, believed to be without IDs, before the end of this year.

"We have launched mobile services to expedite the issuance of IDs so that the Parliamentary Act to make national IDs mandatory to vote can be implemented as planned," Public Security, Law and Order Secretary Tilak Ranavirajah told reporters yesterday.

Addressing a media conference at the Information Department he said they have set up a special unit with 150 back up staff to handle the accelerated programme effectively.

"All those who hand over applications before November 1 will be issued IDs promptly," the Secretary said adding that less enthusiasm among the public was a road block for them to effectively carry out the programme.

Ranavirajah said the month of September has been dedicated to issue IDs and they hoped to complete receiving most of the applications within this month.

The Department targets to print 2.5 million ID applications under the special programme and already 700,000 applications have been sent to Divisional Secretaries.

In a bid to curtail election fraud the Parliament passed a Bill last year to make National IDs mandatory for voters at an election. The Act is to be implemented by the Elections Commissioner after he is satisfied that all registered voters have been issued identification cards by the Department. The official day for the Act to come into effect is November 18.

This will be made on the recommendations of the Commissioner for Registration of Persons and also with the concurrence of political party leaders.

At a Parliamentary Committee Meeting chaired by Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara yesterday the need to expedite the process was stressed in case of a possible election this year, Ranavirajah said.

"We have issued IDs to nearly 42,000 out of the 60,000 tsunami affected people in the coastal areas. This programme is continuing effectively, but the enthusiasm among village dwellers in other remote areas is unsatisfactory," Ranavirajah said adding that this was moreso among the old generation.

According to the Department the majority of the one million people without IDs are from the estate sector in the Central Province.

The Department has dispatched mobile units islandwide with photo facilities to complete the application process.