The Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Ajay Maken on Sunday inaugurated the ambitious scheme of data entry and bio-metric work for creation of National Population Register in coastal villages of Goa at Siridao as part of efforts to strengthen safety and security of the country.
Speaking after launching the scheme in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza and the acting chief secretary, Mr Narendra Kumar at a function jointly organised by the directorate of census operations, Goa and the collectorate of North Goa, the Union minister said that this scheme is of immense importance for safety and security of the country. He said that under this scheme initially 3331 coastal villages in the country, nine maritime states and four Union territories would be covered by issuing them bio-metric identity cards. This exercise, he said, would be completed by March 2010 and thereafter the scheme would be implemented in the entire country. The scheme would also envisage issuing identity cards not only to the fishermen community residing in coastal areas but to all the people.
Mr Maken further said that 51 coastal villages in Goa would be covered under the scheme. He said the cards to be given under the scheme would be of manifold use including to those people affected by natural calamity and other disasters. With the launching of the scheme an effort has been made to take the administration to the doorsteps of the people and provide good governance to them, he added.
The Chief Minister in his address said that security is an important aspect. He said in order to ensure safety and security of the country the borders and coastal areas need to be strengthened with security to avoid incidents like 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and said that such a unique scheme would help achieve the goal. He said that under the scheme every local resident in the coastal villages would be given a unique identity number and an identity card.
The Revenue Minister said that this central government scheme would help maintain safety and security of coastal villages. He also felt the need to issue smart cards to all the people for their safety.
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