As a part of its measures to strengthen coastal security, the government has approved a scheme to create National Population Register (NPR) and issue Resident Identity Cards to all citizens aged 18 years and above in 3,331 coastal villages.
The project will be implemented in 13 maritime states and Union Territories. These are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran told Lok Sabha today.
An amount of Rs 216.31 crore has been approved by the government for creation of NPR in these coastal villages and issue of resident identity cards, he said.
The data collection has already been completed in these areas. The demographic data has been collected for 1.2 crore people and biometrics (photograph and ten finger-prints) for 67.3 lakh people.
The work of personalisation and production of Identity Cards have been undertaken by a consortium of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), namely, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL) and ITI Ltd. (ITIL). As on date, more than 62.04 lakh cards have been personalised and produced.
The Resident Identity Cards have been dispatched directly to the residents by Department of Post through a secure Speed Post. Over 48.06 lakh cards have already been dispatched.
