Himalayan News Service

New Delhi, January 17

The Indian government will soon issue "multipurpose identity cards" to the people, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani said today.

The multipurpose I-cards will meet a long-felt need, Advani said in an address to a two-day conference on internal security that concluded here today.

He said the scheme was already under implementation in selected areas. "On the basis of this experience, the whole nation will have compulsory multi-purpose identity cards," he said.

The move had been opposed in the past by states like West Bengal and Assam, bordering Bangladesh.

However, West Bengal, which receives a large number of alleged illegal immigrants, is now supportive of the move, particularly in the border areas, official sources said.Advani said the government had not been able to implement the decision to identify and deport illegal immigrants. Therefore, the states had been directed to regularly monitor the programme and report to the union government.

He emphasised the need for effective management and proper administration of the border areas for the internal security of the country.

He said the government had decided not to charge eight states, like Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, affected by Maoist insurgency for deployment of para-military personnel to quell violence.