ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) has handed over the machine-readable passport (MRP) printing facility to Immigration & Passport Department (I&PD), it is announced on Monday.

With the handing over of the MRP printing-facility, the I&PD has assumed the full control of the project. The I&PD had floated international tender for the project for which different foreign bidders and the Nadra participated.

Finally, the contract was awarded to Nadra, which met the government's deadline for launching the MRP and the project was launched on October 25, 2004. Now, the MRP facility has been set up at five main cities, which are Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. The sophisticated MRP printing facility has so far printed 70,000 high tech machine-readable passports.

According to a statement issued from Nadra, the authority has to hand over the MRP printing-facility to I&PD within two months. The statement said the Nadra while fulfilling the contractual obligation would continue to provide the technical assistance to I&PD with regard to the MRP processing and printing till January 25, 2005.

With formal handing over of printing facility to I&PD, the authority has handed over high-tech inkjet passport printers, high-tech laminators, passport reading machines, computerized quality check stations, computerized packing stations, fully equipped chemical laboratory, hardware laboratory & environmental control system (essential for sophisticated MRP printing).

The Immigration & Passport Department has tested the capacity of the MRP printing-facility, which is found to be capable of printing 6000 passports per shift per day.

The Nadra deputed 84 staff members to run this facility whereas only a six-member team would now provide technical assistance for another one month and rest will report back to headquarters.

The statement said with the inauguration of the MRP project on October 25, the I&PD had taken control of booking centres within a week and the printing of passports remained the Nadra's responsibility till December 24.