Port Blair, Jan 20: The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India introduced a Central Sector Scheme “Issuance of Bio-Metric Identity Cards to Coastal Fishermen” during 2009-10. The objective of the scheme is to empower every Indian Coastal fishermen through issuance of application oriented Biometric Identity Cards which could be accessed by all the Authorised Agencies, both in the Central and State/Union Territories so as to strengthen coastal security and reduce the threat from sea route through this mechanism. The National Biometric Identity Cards (NBIC) would also eliminate duplication of different cards issued to the fishermen by different States, UTs and other Agencies.
The scheme is being implemented with 100% Central assistance. Fisher folk of all maritime State and Union Territories and the persons likely to go to sea for Fisheries related activities are eligible to be the beneficiaries under the scheme.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India has entrusted the work of production of Bio-Metric ID cards for the fishers of A & N Islands to M/s Electronics Corporation of India, Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad. M/s ECIL have completed the data digitization and captured bio-metric details of 13,140 numbers of beneficiaries/fishers comprising of 5501 numbers from South Andaman, 4822 from North & Middle Andaman and 2817 for Nicobar District. M/s ECIL have delivered 13,140 numbers of printed biometric identity cards of the beneficiaries to the Department in the first week of December, 2012.
The distribution of Biometric ID cards to the fishers of South Andaman District has been launched by the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman in a formal function held in the Conference Hall of the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman on 31-12-2012.
The distribution of cards of the fishers belonging to North and Middle Andaman District and Nicobar District has already been commenced through the Deputy Commissioners/Assistant Commissioners of the respective districts.
All the fishers of Andaman and Nicobars Islands are requested to immediately contact their Area Fishery Officer/Authorized Officer (Asst. Director of Fisheries) of the District and collect their Identity Cards. Henceforth, all law enforcing agencies out at sea such as Marine Police, Coast Guard, Fisheries and Forests Officials would be verifying the Identity of the persons out at sea through the Bio- Metric ID cards issued by the Department of Fisheries, A & N Administration.
