Mobile clinics to facilitate ID documents to 45 000 Easterners - CaFFE

Sunday, 24 November 2013 

Second stage starts Monday

A service by Centre for Human

 Rights (CHR,) Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) and Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE)

The second stage of the mobile clinic programme to facilitate 45 000 Easterners with National Identity Cards (NICs) and birth certificates is to commence on Monday (November 25) in Batticaloa. 6000 persons, in six divisional secretariat divisions, are expected to be facilitated during this stage.

The first stage of the initiative took place between November 11 – 16 and 2074 applications for NICs and 2200 applications for birth certificates were facilitated. A large number of individuals who lost their identification documents during the war took advantage of this free service. In addition marriage certificates were also provided during the clinics and 37 couples registered their marriage including DM Gunabanda (85) and DM Anulawathie (52) of Periya Pilluma who had been living together for 36 years.

There was a lot of enthusiasm among the residents of Batticaloa for the mobile clinics as all facilities needed to obtain an identification document were provided free of charge. A special feature of the clinics is the guarantee that NICs will be provided within 14 days of application. During the second stage the mobile clinics will be held at Koraleipattu West (Oddamawadi) - November 25, Koraleipattu Central (Nawaladi) – November 26, Koraleipattu (Walachchanai) – November 27 and 28, Vavunathivu DS Office – November 29.