Issue of National Identity Cards streamlined

Lakshmi de Silva

The Department of Registration of Persons has streamlined the issuing of National Identity Cards to citizens above 16 years to ensure a better service to the public under new Commissioner General Jagath P Wijeweera.

At present around 3000 NICs are issued per day. In addition another 600 NICs are issue under the one day service, the Commissioner said.

Usually there is a demand for NICs from schools when the Advanced Level and Ordinary Level examinations are held. The principals of all the schools should not wait until the last moment to apply for the NICs of their students.

It would be easy if they collect the applications and forward them as they collect the applications from the students without waiting till the last student handover the application, he noted.

In the past there were a number of malpractices in the department in connivance with persons in shanty boutiques around the department premises. These have been removed under the present administration . Earlier touts had taken bribes from public promising various services and were operating from these shanties. Now we have flushed them out Wijeweera explained.

At present all members of the public who come to the department are taken in and number of counters are provided for services. Seats are provided for the other members who accompany applicants until the work is completed. NICs are issued on applications made through Grama Niladharis and Divisional Secretaries. Any amendments to an existing NIC should also made through an application.

Usually a birth certificate, certificate of residence and five photographs has to be sent along with the application to obtain a NIC.

In the case of members of Maha Sanga a certificate of lower/higher ordination issued by the Department of Buddhist Affairs should be produced. In case of other religions certificates from their religious authorities should be produced.

However, the main problem is that there is no public transport service on Jawatta road from Colombo Fort or Pettah.

Therefore people coming from far away places are put in to great inconvenience to reach the most essential government department issuing NICs.