[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-128

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.zeenews.com/news539141.html

Centre to launch survey in Orissa coastal villages

Kendrapara (Orissa), June 14: In a bid to thwart infiltration and
threat from the sea route, the Centre will launch a comprehensive
survey and issue multi-purpose identity cards to settlers in 97
coastal villagers of Orissa's Kendrapara district.

The step is being taken after 26/11 and the exercise would be launched
next month. It is likely to be completed in January next year,
official sources said.

The coastal security project is being jointly implemented by the
census directorate and the union home department, the sources said.

The survey, which will encompass 55 villages of Rajanagar tehsil and
41 villages of Mahakalpada tehsil, will be done in accordance with the
strict guidelines of the Centre.

All the people in the coastal areas, including those who are not
residing on a permanent basis, foreigners and those from outside, will
be included in the survey and around three lakh people will be issued
the multipurpose identity card.

A lone village under Rajkanika tehsil will be covered under the
multi-purpose identity card project, R K Das, sub-collector of
Kendrapara said.

Rajanagar and Mahakalapada tehsils are widely regarded as the
epicenter of unlawful settlement of Bangladeshis, the sources said
adding as per official estimates 1677 infiltrators are present in
these areas. Unofficial figures are a much higher 50,000.

Among the officially enumerated foreign nationals, 1551 Bangladeshis
had been given quit India notice on January 15, 2005. But the
deportation notice was put on hold following allegations of erroneous
enumeration.

Das said enumerators would gather wide-ranging details of settlers of
the coastal villages and the information sheet will contain among
other things the genealogical order of the families, their nativity
status and finger prints of those above the age 15 years.

It could be used as a multi-purpose identity card instead of the
existing voter identity card. It would be distributed among the
concerned villagers, including those below 18 years of age.

''As the project is of national importance, we are laying emphasis on
its timely completion. The enumerators would be trained,'' he added.

Bureau Report