[Reader-list] Smart job card debut for Tripura

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090108/jsp/northeast/story_10359515.jsp

The Telegraph	
 Thursday , January 8 , 2009
Smart job card debut for Tripura
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Agartala, Jan. 7: Tripura is set to introduce smart cards for
beneficiaries of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) to
ensure better implementation.

Smart cards are set to be introduced first in Dukli block, 6km
southeast of Agartala. In the first phase, 2,000 beneficiaries will
receive their cards. Subsequently, smart cards will be distributed
among beneficiaries in all 40 blocks of the state.

R.M. Malakar, additional district magistrate (West Tripura) in charge
of Dukli block, said the front part of the smart card would have a
picture of Tripura and a photograph of the head of the beneficiary
family with name, address and job card number. The reverse would have
photographs of other members of the family with their names.

"A computer chip on the reverse of the card will contain all details
of the family and by the process of scanning one would be able to
easily know how many days' work the family has left," Malakar said.

He said there would be no trouble even if the beneficiary lost the
card because it would contain fingerprints of the original beneficiary
on one side and report of the retina scan on the other.

"Nobody will be able to misuse this card and if the distribution
programme succeeds in Dukli, it will be implemented all over the
country," Malakar said. The Union ministry of rural development has
appreciated Tripura's achievement in implementing the scheme.

He said currently 5.17 lakh people or 15.2 per cent of the state's
population have job cards and are direct beneficiaries of the scheme.