The Department of Registration of Persons and the ICTA are jointly engaged in this exercise.

When contacted, a Department spokesman told Sri Lanka Mirror that officers have been trained how to collect information needed from citizens for this electronic ID card.

In addition to details of the holder, it will also have details of the holder’s parents, siblings and offspring, as well prints of all 10 fingers of each person.

Collecting the data is presently underway in several divisional secretariat division areas as a pilot project, said the spokesman.

Opposition over confidentiality

The idea of an electronic ID was first considered during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, but most in the opposition objected to it.

It was alleged the confidentiality of the personal details of the citizens can be compromised and their fundamental rights might be violated.

Attempts to contact department chief R.M.S. Sarathkumara for further information were unsuccessful.