NICs within easy reach

By Ananda KANNANGARA

The Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) said that the issuing of National Identity Cards (NICs) will not be delayed in future as a new scheme has already been implemented to issue them within 30 days under a special program, commencing from January 2011.

DRP, Commissioner General, Jagath P. Wijeweera who assumed duties as the Head of the Department recently told the Sunday Observer that the present backlog will be cleared before December this year. Thereafter the issuing of NICs could be done even before 30 days from the time the applications are received by the Department.

The excerpts of the interview

Q: How many Sri Lankans do not possess NICs?

A: According to the Election Department statistics over two million Sri Lankans do not have NICs.

Q: Why don't they obtain NICs as it is needed for various purposes?

A: Most of them are dead and others do not know the value of NICs as many of them are old and living in distant areas.

Q: How long does the Department take to issue an NIC?

A: At present we take about two to three months, but we expect to issue them within 30 days from January next year.

Q: People complain that they had not received their NICs even after four months ?

A: If relevant documents are not sent along with applications or the details given is not very clear we have to hold such applications for some time.

Q: How many NICs do your Department issue a day?

A: Earlier we issued only 2,500 a day, but now we issue over 6,000 NICs everyday.

Q: What is the cost borne by the Department to process an NIC ?

A: Although we take stamps to the value of Rs. three for a new NIC and Rs. fifteen for others, we spend over Rs. 140 to process one NIC.

Q: How is the progress of the one day distribution program of NICs?

A: The one-day NIC distribution program is very successful. A large number of people who need their NICs urgently will immensely benefit from this program. Applicants should handover their applications before 12.00 noon and we charge Rs. 500 for an NIC to be issued the same day.

Q: How many NICs are issued under the one-day service program ?

A: We issue around 700 NICs a day and we expect to increase this number in the near future considering the large number of applications we receive from the North and the East.

Q: Has the government planned to introduce an Electronic National Identity Card (ENIC) instead of the present card?

A: Discussions are being held in this regard and we expect to introduce the ENIC within 18 months.

Q: What is the importance of the ENIC ?

A: The ENIC has additional security features and it cannot be tampered.

Q: How could a person apply for a new NIC ?

A: NICs are issued to those who are over 16 years. If the applicants are schoolchildren they could apply easily through school principals, unless they could seek instructions from the area Gramaseva Niladaris (GN).

Q: How many schoolchildren apply for NICs every year ?

A: Around 400,000 schoolchildren who reach 16 years of age apply for new NICs through the school every year. I must also request schoolchildren to apply through their respective schools without going through the Gramaseva Niladaris.

Q: Presently you issue NICs to applicants through Divisional Secretariats and Gramaseva Niladaris. Can't you issue them directly to applicants to save time ?

A: From January we have planned to issue NICs directly to applicants by registered post.

Therefore, all applicants should send stamped envelopes along with their application forms.

Q: If one looses the NIC or if it gets disfigured, how could he/she apply for a new one ?

A: If the NIC is lost, 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. However if the NIC is disfigured the applicant need not inform the police, but to carry out instructions given by the GN. Q: Your mobile service program was popular among plantation workers, office workers and children in distant schools, Why did you stop it ?

A: We have not stopped it. We need to strengthen the mobile service program after January next year and we have also decided to distribute NICs through mobile services in the North and the estate sector countrywide.

Q: People complain Police about their lost NICs very often. Is it true that many lost NICs are received by your Department by post and you do not take steps to handover them to the owners ?

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