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16 million NICs to be re-issued from year end
View(s):The Department of Registration of Persons (RoP) will re-issue 16 million National Identity Cards (NIC) from December this year, with the new document containing the facility to check the holder’s fingerprints, a senior official said.
Commissioner General of the RoP Viyani Gunatillake told the Sunday Times that the new NICs will have several security features, enabling selected agencies to verify the authenticity of the card holder.
The card holder’s fingerprints, obtained by the Department, will be stored in a database, which could be verified by State agencies such as Immigration and the Police.
He said that an islanwide campaign, through the 14,032 Grama Sevaka (GS) offices, will be carried out to issue the new NICs.
“The GSs and our officers will jointly visit houses to issue the new NICs. They will carry with them a portable device to obtain the fingerprints of those obtaining the cards,” Mr Gunatillake explained.
He said, thereafter, they would have to submit a photograph through the GS to obtain their NIC.
The Department will issue a time limit for persons to obtain their new NIC.
The new NICs will be valid for a 10-year period, but the renewal period would differ after the age of 50.