May 26, 2006	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, May 25: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) would establish more swift registration centres in different localities of Rawalpindi to facilitate people in getting computerised identity cards.

This was stated by authority chairman Brig (retired) Saleem Ahmad Moeen, while inaugurating new ID card and automated billing complex at Satellite Town (Commercial Market) on Thursday.

He said more centres, also equipped with automated utility bills payment facility, would be set up at Marir Hassan, Chandni Chowk, Dhoke Kashmirian and other congested areas of the city.

The authority’s chairman appealed to the people to get registered with Nadra, observing that people were not taking interest in getting computerised identity cards.

Nadra has the capacity of delivering 45,000 ID cards daily, but the daily turnout of the people at its swift registration centres is just 21,000, he added. He said so far 50.3 million people had been registered with the authority.

Mr Moeen said about 200 utility bills receiving machines would be installed across the country next month, saving people from the inconvenience of standing in long queues outside the banks.

Through these machines, people would not only be able to deposit their utility bills, but also get scratch cards of various cellular phone companies, he added.

The Nadra chairman said, at present, 340 swift registration centres and 103 mobile teams were working all over the country, giving employment opportunities to about 11,500 people at district level.

Talking to this reporter, residents welcomed the new Nadra centre at Commercial Market, saying the old small office was not fully equipped to cope with the requirements of the increasing number of applicants.

“With the establishment of the new office, I hope people would get their identity cards in no time, and also would not have to stand in long queues,” Arshad Sohail, a resident of Satellite Town, said.