Phidim, May 25

The process of distributing national identity cards has begun in Panchthar.

A team led by Shivaraj Joshi, director at National Identity Card Distribution Management Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs has started its work by setting up an office in Panchthar district headquarters Phidim today.

Though the concept of national identity cards was conceived in the government’s policies and programmes for the fiscal 2066/67, the government approved the necessary criteria proposed by the NICDMC only last year.

The new identity card which comes in the form of a smart card with a chip will have vital personal information of the bearer including his/her fingerprints.

“We have already informed all eight local bodies in the district about the distribution of  national identity card and acquired necessary manpower. Following a week-long training, human resources will be deployed to the local levels in the district to  collect their personal details from the second week of June,” said Joshi, adding, the national identity card distribution will start soon after that.

As per the plan, national identity card distribution centre will distribute the card to some 117,000 persons, including 110,000 locals of Panchthar and 7,000 civil servants working at Singha Durbar in the first phase.