NICs for Northerners

by Naalir Jamaldeen

The Registration of Persons Department has issued 9,000 National Identity Cards to the people of the North within the last fortnight, the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFE) sources said.

Moves are under way to issue 85,000 more National Identity Cards before the Northern Provincial Council polls, the sources said.

The Centre for Human Rights Sri Lanka, the Registration of Persons Department and CAFE have jointly organised mobile programs in the Northern Province to solve the problems of the people, the sources said.

Steps have also been taken to issue birth certificates, marriage certificates and death certificates while issuing identity cards.

The authorities received 20,341 applications for National Identity Cards, 15,000 for birth certificates and 300 for death certificates, the sources said.

Solutions have been found for 34,705 problems within a short period of less than one and a half months, the sources said.