Wikramanayaka stops one-day service to obtain NIC

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2008, 09:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka has directed the Commissioner of Registration of Persons to stop immediately issuing national identity card (NIC) in one-day to those who lost their NIC and make application for renewal. Prime Minister said he has issued this directive to stop undesirables using this facility to commit crime and terrorist activity, media reports said.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister has further directed the law enforcement authority to take action against those institutions and individuals who demand NIC as surety to do their business such as renting video films to customers thus violating the Section 22 of the Registration of Persons Act of 1968, reports added.

Prime Minister further said the government is to bring necessary amendment to the Registration of Persons Act to eliminate loophole helping terrorists to obtain forged NIC by submitting false birth certificates and other documents.

Meanwhile it has been reported that about 1183 complaints have been received by the Hatton police alone regarding the loss of NIC. This has caused suspicion among the police that lost NIC are being used for 'terrorist activity', reports said quoting Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka addressing a conference held Friday at his office with officials of the Department Registration of Persons and Police Intelligence Division.