Border states to get IDs by March

Deputy Prime minister L K Advani today announced the government’s decision to issue multi-purpose identity cards to people residing in ...

Deputy Prime minister L K Advani today announced the government’s decision to issue multi-purpose identity cards to people residing in 13 border and coastal states including Jammu & Kashmir by March 31 next year.

The decision came at a meeting of the Parliamentary consultative committee on Home Affairs and is meant for nearly 29 lakh people.

These states and UTs include: Gujarat, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Pondicherry, said Home Ministry sources.

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Meanwhile, following the recommendations of the group of ministers (GOM) on security, a separate division on border management has been created in the Home ministry for focussed attention on border security related issues, Advani told the committee.

A multi-agency intelligence set-up, as recommended by the GOM, had already started functioning, he said.

Members expressed concern over the rise in cross border terrorism and made suggestions to plug infiltration across the territorial and maritime borders. They suggested strengthening of the Coast Guard in Andaman and Nicobar islands to check infiltration.

The committee also suggested shifting of the control and administration of narcotics trade from the Revenue department in the Finance Ministry to the Home Ministry.

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The committee was also informed of the decision to deploy ITBP on the entire Indo-China border.