Cost of new ID cards to be borne by Jaffna residents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 August 2007, 03:08 GMT]
People's Committee for Justice, Peace and Goodwill (PCJPG), the Federation of NGOs and the Human Rights Commission (HRC), in Jaffna have requested the High Commands of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 51-2 Brigade in Jaffna to bear the cost of the Special Identity Cards (SID), that the SLA has ordered all the residents of the peninsula above the age of ten.

Most of the residents of the Jaffna peninsula, already hard pressed to make both ends meet, are unable to pay for the expenses incurred in obtaining the Military SID, the Peoples' Committee highlighted in its request made to the SLA top brass in Jafnna.

Meanwhile, many Village Officers (Grama Sevakas) in the peninsula through whom the people have to apply for the Military SID, said that people, though being ordered by the SLA to obtain the SID, have not responded fully for want of money.

The SLA has been sending directives to the Village Officers to carry out the issue of SID in their divisions in full measure.

Civil organizations have conveyed the plight of the poor people in the peninsula to the SLA high command.

The SLA, in response to the requests, had said that since it does not have the Identity Cards issued in 1996 in stock, it has to make new cards, the sources further said.