Fishermen in the coastal districts of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. Telegraph pictures

Paradip, Jan. 18: As part of the coastal security plan, the project to cover all fishermen under multipurpose national identity cards in infiltration-prone Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts is underway.

The exercise is being conducted under joint coordination of the National Population Registrar, the ministry of home affairs and the marine fisheries department of the state government.

As the fishermen form a significant component of the coastal security plan, these seaside-settlers are being brought under the purview of the unique identification system. The fishermen of the coastal districts require an identity card that would give them a proof of nationality and a professional and legal identity as well. More importantly, it would lead to easy detection of sea-route infiltrators, who often masquerade as fishermen.

“As many as 36,500 fishermen in 228 coastal villages of both the districts are being provided with the unique identity cards. The enumeration and data entry works have come to an end. The photography and fingerprint biometric works for expeditious issuance of national multi-purpose identity cards is in full swing in both the coastal districts. Within a couple of months, these sea-going fishermen would be have their own identity cards,” said Rabi Narayan Pattnaik, assistant director of fisheries (marine).

As per the directions of the National Population Registrar, 112 coastal villages of Kendrapara district and 116 villages of Jagatsinghpur district were covered under a comprehensive survey.

Around 37,000 marine fishermen, who are settled in these villages, were enumerated. The enumerators gathered wide-ranging details of the settlers of these coastal villages.