BJP takes up ID-card issue as poll plank

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 14 – BJP’s new IT vision envisages according top priority to detect illegal migrants by re-jigging the UPA’s brainchild programme Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) to create a new authority, Citizenship Regulatory Authority of India (CRAI) by amending the Citizenship Act of 1955. The national ID plan is a key component of the Party’s IT Vision,” declared Opposition leader and Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP, LK Advani releasing the IT Vision ‘Transforming Bharat’.

The release function was attended by national president, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Jaswant Singh, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Arun Jaitely, among others. The man behind the Project is Assamese IT professional Pradyut Bora, who heads the BJP’s IT cell.

Addressing the function, Advani said that security concern continues influenced by the problem of to be illegal migrants. “There are an estimated 1-2 crore illegal Bangladeshis in the country,” he contended.

Castigating the UPA Government for not doing anything, Advani charged that in a way the Government of India was colluding with them.

The centrepiece of the implementation of the BJP’s IT Vision is the Multi-purpose Identity Card (MIC), a programme started by the then NDA Government. The party also pooh-poohed the attempt of the UPA Government to introduce the (UIAI).

“Only in January did the UPA Government make a token attempt to be seen as responsive on this issue, when it set up UIAI, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission,” the document said.

Against this slipshod and half-hearted attempt of the UPA Government, a future BJP-led NDA Government would give this programme topmost priority.

“We would amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to combine the offices of register General if Census of India and that of the UIAI to set up a CRAI. The amended Citizenship Act would make it mandatory

under law for all citizens to acquire an MNIC, and parents of newly born infants would have to apply for one for their child immediately after the baby’s birth.

It would be responsible for maintaining a National Register of Citizenship (NRC), and keeping it current up to the minute.

Based on the BRC, CRAI would issue each citizen an MNIC with a unique Citizen Identification Number (CIN). CRAI would maintain 24X7 online presence and enable Government, law enforcement agencies and private institutions to let their computer system ‘look up’ the MNIC database in real time, the document proposes.

The BJP promises to complete the MNIC rollout within three years of taking office, the Vision Document promises.

Earlier, introducing the Project, Arun Shourie said that IT Vision is part of the agenda of good governance. The emphasis is on technology for people. He also explained the benefits that would be derived from the new IT policy and some of its highlights.

Recalling the initiatives taken by the NDA regime in the IT sector, he said the new policy would help in telemedicine, health, and education, besides other sectors. The document promises to re-orient the IT sector by empowerment of rural India.

Advani promised to take internet literacy to the country’s 6 lakh villages leading to creation of 1.25 crore new jobs. The BJP promised distribution of laptops to I crore students at interest free loans.

Meanwhile, the BJP national president inaugurated the new look BJP website (www.bjp.org). ASSAM TRIBUNE