Distribution of national ID cards stalled in Panchthar

Published On: January 22, 2019 07:59 AM NPT By: Giriraj Baskota

PANCHTHAR, Jan 22: The distribution of the national identity cards started in Phidim, the district headquarters of Panchthar, from November 19. Amid a grand event, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had inaugurated the card distribution process.

As the government officials had reached every doorstep to collect the details for the cards, locals had expected similar enthusiasm in the distribution as well. Sadly, the process could not gain any momentum as the cards are still piled up in the field office of the District Administration Office (DAO).

Only a few persons who reached the field office of DAO have been provided the cards while the rest are still waiting in their respective villages. According to Chief District Officer (CDO) Prakash Chandra Adhikari, around 30,000 ID cards have been prepared so far.

He says officers are currently listing and separating the cards based on place. As per the rule, the cards will not be distributed in absence of the cardholders and without their biometric information. CDO Adhikari further said that the details of 76,000 people have been collected so far.

Currently, the officials are busy collecting details in Tumwewa Rural Municipality and Miklajung Rural Municipality. However, the locals who filled the forms were assured that they would be provided the card very soon but that has not happened.

The staffers of the field office say they have not been able to take the card distribution process forward as they have received ID cards of only half of the locals though all had filled the forms. The target of the project was to collect the details of 120,000 people of Panchthar and distribute those cards together.

Meanwhile, those who have already received the card are unaware about its use and advantages. They have no idea about when and where that card can be used. The card is digital but there are no machines around to read it.

In order to provide the services assured by the government, the authorities concerned must keep such machines for delivering the service. However, that has not been possible yet. The name, birth dates, names of parents and grandparents, among others details were collected during the data collection process.