STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF THE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1254 BY SHRI T.K. RANGARAJAN TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.07.2009 REGARDING ‘HIGH TECHNOLOGY IDENTITY CARDS FOR INDIAN FISHERMEN’

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. As one of the several measures taken to strengthen coastal security, it has been decided that all the fishing/non-fishing boats plying in Indian waters be registered under a uniform system. The Department of Shipping, as the nodal department, has issued two notifications in this regard in June 2009; one for amending the MS (Registration of Fishing Vessels) rules alongwith revised revised format for registration and another for notifying the list of registrars. It has also been decided that all type of boats should be fitted/provided with navigational and communication equipments to facilitate vessel identification and tracking. A Group under the chairmanship of Nautical Adviser is working out the specifications of the AIS transponders required for installation on these boats.

The Government has also decided to issue Multipurpose National Identity cards (MNICs) to all the usual residents, above 18 years of age, in the coastal villages including fishermen. The project is covering 3331 villages on the coastline, with all the villages & town of A & N Islands, in the first Phase, and towns/cities and other villages on the coastline in the second Phase. For the first time, direct data collection methodology has been proposed to be undertaken for the project.

Moreover, it has also been decided that all the fishermen are to be issued ID cards relatable to a single centralized data-base. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHD &F), as nodal agency, is taking necessary actions in this regard, in consultation with all concerned. A uniform application format for the ID cards has been finalished and it has been sent to all the Coastal States/Union Territories to commence the data collection process.

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