The Union government intends to cover by March 2010, 3,331 coastal villages in the country, 9 maritime States and 4 Union Territories by issuing to coastal residents Bio-Metric identity cards under its ambitious scheme of Data Entry and Bio-Metric work of creation of the National Population Register (NPR).
Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken on Sunday stated this while inaugurating the ambitious scheme of Data Entry and Bio-Metric work of creation of National Population Register in coastal villages of Goa.
The project, meant to enhance coastal safety and security, was formally launched in the presence of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza and acting Chief Secretary Narendra Kumar at Siridao, a remote coastal village in Tiswadi taluk of north Goa.
Mr. Maken said that this scheme was of immense importance for safety and security of the country. After covering coastal areas, the scheme would then be implemented in the entire country. The scheme would also envisage issuing identity card not only to the fishermen residing in coastal areas but to all the people.
He said 51 coastal villages in Goa would be covered under the scheme. He said, the cards to be given under the scheme would be multi-use, including those to people affected by natural calamity and other disasters.
“With the launching of the scheme, apart from security aspect, an effort has been made to take the administration to the door steps of the people and provide good governance to them,” he observed.