PHIDIM, Nov 19: Bhagawati Devi Bhandari, 101, has received a national identity card (NIC), becoming the first citizen to hold it. 

Federal Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa formally launched the much-talked NIC distribution program by handing over a national ID card to Bhandari, a local, here at the district headquarters Phidim amidst a special function on Monday.

A team led by Home Minister Thapa arrived here in two helicopters for the distribution of the national identity cards today.

The government officials including locals received Minister Thapa with a warm welcome amidst cultural Jhanki dance.

The proposed NIC is supposed to replace the existing citizenship card. It has given name, address, father’s name, mother’s name, photo along with four fingerprints of both thumbs and two index fingers.

As many as  52,000 people have applied for the national identity card through their ward offices so far, according to the National Identity Card Management Center. 

In the first phase, 110,000 people of Panchthar and 7,000 officials of Singha Darbar including VIPs are scheduled to receive the card. As per the government’s decision, the first distribution event will take place in Panchthar only.

Chief Minister of Province 1, Sherdhan Rai and Minister for Finance and Planning Indra Bahadur Angbo, among others, were present at the event aside from home minister Thapa. 

Panchthar Prakash Chandra Adhikari stated that the card will be distributed in 15 other districts in the second phase. According to him, the NIC card with a mart chip will help curb crimes as the citizenship card currently in use has been found vulnerable to duplication.

The government has planned to distribute the ID cards in 25 districts in the fiscal year 2019-20 and in 36 districts in the fiscal 2020-21.

 
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