Sunday observer EXTRA

DRP goes hi-tech with electro NICs

One-day service for Rs. 500:

Ordinary service in two weeks:

By Ananda KANNANGARA

No more delays waiting for NICs Applicants at the One-Day NIC issuing section

Jagath P. Wijeweera

Jayantha Peris, a resident of Kurunegala had applied for a new National Identity Card (NIC) to the DRP through the respective area divisional secretary last year. Although he had attached all relevant documents including photographs and the necessary stamps, he had to wait for nearly seven months.

When he visited the DRP Head Office at Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo 5, he was informed that an error in his name was found when compared to the birth certificate, which had caused the delay.

Another reported case from Kilinochchi where a father had submitted the application of his 16-year-old daughter under the One-Day service. He had to waste two days in Colombo when he was told that the application has been certified by the school principal without a frank.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Commissioner General of the Dept. of Registration of Persons (DRP) Jagath P. Wijeweera said that several cases of this nature were being reported very often and called on all applicants to make their applications perfect to avoid delays.

New National Identity Cards will not get delayed in the future as a new scheme has been implemented which will issue NICs within two weeks.

He said according to Election Department statistics, over two million Sri Lankans do not have NICs and steps have to be taken to give them identity cards within next two years.

“Providing NICs to such a large number of persons is not an easy task and therefore we have to conduct more mobile service programs and encourage people to obtain NICs,”.

He said most of them, who do not have NICs are old and feeble who live in distant areas, and do not know the importance of NICs due to various reasons.

The Commissioner also pointed that earlier it took nearly three months for NICs to be issued whereas with the latest technology it now takes only two weeks.

He said unlike in the past the Department issues over 6000 NICs a day and this number could go up reaching to a peak under the new scheme.

The Department spends over Rs. 140 to process an NIC. The Commissioner also said the one-day NIC distribution program is very successful as a large number of persons from various parts of the country everyday visit the Department to get NICs under this program. “We charge only Rs. 500 for a same-day NIC and around 500 NICs are issued every day”.

He said the one-day service program will be expanded, considering the number of applications the Department receives even from the Northern and Eastern districts.

The Commissioner also said that people should hand over their applications before 12 each day, so that they will be able to obtain their NICs before 4.30 pm on the same day.

The Government has also planned to bring in Electronic National Identity Card (ENIC) in place of the present card which will carry additional security features which cannot be tampered with.

“NICs are issued to applicants of over 16 years. If applicants are school candidates they could apply for them through their respective school principals”.

He said over 400,000 schoolchildren apply for new NICs every year and requests on all school heads to forward their applications at least before two months before the commencement of the GCE (OL) or (AL) examinations.

Wijeweera also said that more mobile service programs will be conducted in remote rural schools in the future, since children in such schools will face immense difficulties to get their NICs through their schools on time.

He said at present the Department issues normal NICs to applicants through Divisional Secretariats and Gramaseva Niladaris and steps have been taken to issue them straightaway to the applicants in order to reduce the time period.

“Therefore, all applicants should enclose stamped envelopes with their application forms,”. Asked as to how to apply for a new one if a NIC is lost, the Commissioner said the applicant should first inform the nearest police station and the area Gramaseva Niladari.

Thereafter the applicant should proceed with the instructions given by the GN.

“If the NIC is disfigured the applicant need not inform the police, but to carry out instructions given by the GN,”. He said the Department’s mobile service program has become very popular among plantation workers and wish to expand this service to more plantation areas, so that large number of persons who have never obtained NICs will get an opportunity to have them.

He said the mobile service program will also be extended to schools and plantation areas in the North and East.

If anybody inquires about their lost NICs from our Department we would assist them to find, unless we have no other alternative other than destroying them after some time.