Government will issue identity cards to "usual residents" of 3,331 coastal villages in nine states and four Union Territories by March 2010 as part of its drive to strengthen security in coastal areas, Home Minister P Chidambaram informed the Rajya Sabha today.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the proposal to issue smart card-based IDs to all such residents in these areas has come in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
The ID cards would be issued in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.
"The scheme will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, 3,331 villages will be covered during 2009-10," he said adding about 1.2 lakh population would be covered in the first phase.
The remaining coastal areas will be covered in the second phase which will be done along with 2011 Census, he said.
Chidambaram said separately a proposal to issue smart cards to fishermen in the maritime states is being implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
Fishing vessels and boats of fishermen are currently being registered separately.
Chidambaram said identity cards for fishermen would be useful for day-to-day applications such as availing of diesel subsidy and credit facilities from cooperative society.
Asked about reports of Tamil Nadu being put on high alert after inputs of terrorist threat from the coast, he said the state police has taken effective action in protecting the coasts.
Intelligence on terrorist threats are shared with the states. "Only recently, we shared intelligence inputs (of terrorist threat) with western states. And about a month ago, intelligence inputs were shared with Tamil Nadu," he said.
Tamil Nadu, he said, has strengthened coastal security through various measures, including setting up of coastal police stations.
