NICs for all voters by year end?

By Malik Gunatilleke

The Department for Registrations of Persons is conducting mobile programmes with the aim of issuing National Identity Cards (NICs) to eligible voters in all districts by December 31.

The Department is undertaking this exercise as the Elections (Special Provisions) Act No; 14 of 2004 requires every voter to produce a valid document proving his/her identity before he/she receives a ballot paper to cast the vote.

The mobile programme has already covered 12 districts, including Colombo and Nuwara-Eliya, in which over 200,000 people have made use of the mobile service.

Registrations of Persons Department Commissioner A.G. Dharmadasa told The Sunday Times the response from the public has been good but a major obstacle was that many people do not possess necessary documents such as birth certificates, etc.

“The birth certificate is the most important document for issuing an NIC. However, many people from rural areas do not possess a valid copy of it,” he said.

Mr. Dharmadasa said that the Department contacts the relevant Grama Niladharis (GNs) to give the necessary publicity for the programme and also issue application forms to the people to complete and hand them over to the GN to be forwarded to the mobile office.

“People who have problems regarding their applications or birth certificates can visit the mobile office because the GNs and police officers will be present to sort out such problems,” he said.

He said the Department was sending 8 officials to oversee the work in the mobile offices while photographers would be present to take pictures of the applicants.

The applicants would have to pay Rs. 150 to get the required photographs in addition to the stamp fees.

The mobile programme for the Trincomalee District was scheduled for October 2 but was postponed indefinitely due to the uncertain security situation.

“We hope to cover the entire island by December 31 but because of the situation in the North and East it is difficult to go those areas,” Mr. Dharmadasa said.

Mr. Dharmadasa said the mobile programme was only an extra service organized by the Department with the public still able to obtain their NICs in the normal way.