14.6.08

Pune: Identity Cards proposed

In a unique move that could make Pune the forerunner in the use of citizen-oriented identity cards in the country, the chief information officer (CIO) of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has joined hands with the National Association of Software & Services Companies (Nasscom) to develop multipurpose biometric cards along the lines of smart cards used in Singapore. While the primary function would be to act as identity proof for security reasons, these cards will also perform a number of financial transactions as done by the credit/debit cards. The first lot of these cards will be rolled out by next year on a pilot basis.
Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman of NASSCOM and CEO of Zensar Technologies Ltd confirmed that such an initiative was under way.Natarajan said there was the need for installing smart card readers across the city. “If the project succeeds, Pune would proudly become the first city to create such cards for the benefit of citizens in the whole country. And as citizens of Pune, we are proud to support this initiative wholeheartedly. It is a kind of service to the citizens of Pune,” he said.
Anupam Saraph, CIO of the municipal corporation said that some plastic card manufacturers have shown interest in ‘developing’ the cards, adding that the modalities of the project were yet to be defined.
For example, a single card could be used for cashless banking transactions, as well as for making payments at shops, parking facilities. Apart from using the card for paying taxes, it could also be utilised as the Octopus travel card used in Hong Kong during the travel.Most importantly, the card is to work as an identity proof, through which all the data regarding an individual could be verified for security reasons.
We should be able to come out with an exact rollout plan in the next 3-4 months. Once that happens, the cards could be developed by next year.
Meanwhile, the guidelines laid down by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have to be borne in mind before carrying out this exercise. Saraph added that the private banks need to come forward to be part of this exercise because if we were to tie up with the existing card operators like the Visa or Mastercard, the money transactions will get much dearer and would not be affordable to common man.

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