Central teams procure photographs, thumb impressions of villagers in seven coastal districts

The second phase of preparing a National Population Register (NPR) in coastal villages of Gujarat post-26/11 Mumbai terror attacks has begun. Central teams have begun procuring the photographs and thumb impressions of the residents in the seven coastal districts of the state.

The exercise, according to Home department officials, will cover 663 villages in Surat, Bharuch, Valsad, Navsari, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Kutch.

Sources said the teams have already collected data about the residents and are now procuring photographs and thumb impressions to issue each residents with a unique identity card.

According to sources, it will take two to three months to complete the task of issuing the cards, but it has to be completed under any circumstances by February 1, 2010.

Initially, a total of 18.24 lakh people from the coastal villages will be covered under the project. Later on, villages in certain pockets of seven other districts —Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Porabandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Anand and Vadodara — will be covered under the project.

The entire exercise is being conducted by the Registrar General of India, but the unique identification number will be issued to the citizens by the National Authority for Unique Identity (NAUI).

The cards based on microprocessor chips will carry all information about the individual like date of birth, place of residence, occupation and education, besides his photograph and thump impression.

Home Department officials say the card will greatly help in identifying the infiltrators and terrorists.

... contd.