Port Blair, Jan 22: The Union Home Minister of India, P. Chidambaram issued the first set of Resident Identity (smart) Card at a function in Porthrapur village of South Andaman on Saturday. India’s first Resident Identity smart Card was handed over to Mrs. Bhoo Devi, a resident of Prothrapur Village. During the function the Home Minister distributed total five RICs while the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Niocobar Islands, Lt. Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh distributed another five RICs to villagers. Expressing his happiness over the fact that first set of RICs were distributed in A & N Islands, the Home Minister said that RICs are much more than an Identity Card. “This is card is not an ordinary card, this card says that you are a usual resident of India. This card is more than a identity card as it gives you a certain identity and the fact that you are a usual resident of India,” Chidambaram said while addressing public after distributing the RICs. According to official figures, the RIC is a smart card with 64 KB micro processor chip. About 2.56 lakh cards will be distributed to all persons who have completed 18 years of age in Andaman & Nicobar Islands “In the first round we had covered 3331 coastal villages in 70 districts, in nine States and four Union Territories,” the Home Minister added.
In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, besides the villages, all the towns will also be covered in the first phase itself. The approved cost of the scheme is Rs. 216.31 crore. According to official figures, the demographic data collection of 1.2 crore persons and the biometrics of 75 lakh persons in the 3331 coastal villages under the coastal NPR project have been completed. Till date, 5 lakh Identity (smart) cards have been produced. Earlier, soon after his arrival, the Home Minister visited the National Memorial Cellular Jail where he was accorded Guard of Honour. The other programmes for yesterday contained meeting with officers of A&N Administration and Presentation on Economic Perspective and Security issues of A&N Islands, meeting with representatives of political parties, Chairperson PBMC, Adhyaksh, Zilla Parishad (N&M) at Raj Niwas from 1630 hours to 1730 hours besides meeting with the Congress workers at Gandhi Bhawan and witnessing the Sound and Light Show at the National Memorial Cellular Jail.
Today, the Union Home Minister visited the Tsunami Memorial at Big Lapathy, Car Nicobar Coconut Mission plot at Small Lapathy, Permanent Tsunami Shelter at Tamaloo and met with Tribal Council Members at the community hall, Perka in Car Nicobar. On his return from Car Nicobar the Union Home Minister had a meeting with Fishermen and Craftsmen of Andamans and representative of Ex-servicemen Settlers of Campbell Bay and visitor’s appointment at Raj Niwas from 1600 to 1800 hours followed by meeting with Tribals (Andamanese) Govt. Employees of A&N Police/Administration and Teachers and Govt. officials associated with Jarawa Tribe etc at Raj Niwas.
