Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
New Delhi, November 24 2009:
Aiming to curb rising crime rate, the Government has embarked upon a project under which about 14,000 police stations and 6,000 other police offices would be interconnected for evolution of IT-enabled sophisticated tracking system of "investigation of crime and detection of criminals".
The nation wide project, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), is estimated to cost Rs 2,000 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan, Ajay Makan, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
The major role in the implementation of the project would be with the State Governments and UT Administrations.
The role of the Centre would be largely confined to development and management of the Core Application Software and aspects pertaining to issuing guidelines, review and monitoring of the project implementation.
Three States-Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat-have developed somewhat similar platforms, Makan said.
Replying to another question, the Minister said the Government has issued 13 lakh Multi Purpose National Identity cards (MNIC) to the citizens of coastal areas to strengthen coastal security.
He, however, clarified that the cards issued by Election Commission were separate from this card.
This was the pilot project, he said adding the Government is planning to cover 3,331 villages and 120 lakh people would be given cards in the first phase.
Based on the learnings of the pilot project on MNIC, the Government has decided to create a National Population Register (NPR) in the country by collecting information on specific characteristics of each individual along with Census 2011 .
The NPR schedule would be canvassed during Houselisting and Housing census starting from
April 2010 .
Later photographs and fingerprints of all those who are 18 years of age and above will be captured, Makan said.
"As a measure to strengthen coastal security, creation of NPR for the coastal villages in all the nine Maritime States has been taken up," he added.