Provincial offices/ Departmental units at Divisional Secretariats

Operations of the Department were decentralized in terms of the Cabinet Decision of 17.05.2006 on the Accelerated Computerized Program for identity cards issuance process. Accordingly it was decided to establish a branch office of the Department at every Divisional Secretariat and in every province.
331 branch offices of the Department are established in all DS division and two Development Officers are appointed to each. They are trained to issue identity cards.

Objectives

1. To implement the data collection activity systematically under the e-NIC project covering all areas.
2. To formalize the process of instigating those who do not possess identity cards.
3. To monitor and direct the applications received by the Department for the preparation of identity cards without any defect.
4. To ease the procedure of obtaining identity cards for the public, outside Colombo.
5. To ease the process of issuing identity cards in the Department and make it efficient.

Provincial Offices

As the head office of the DRP is situated in the Western Province it is planned to establish provincial offices of the Department in all other provinces. Their functions are the supervision and coordination of work in the Divisional Secretariats, collection of all applications received at Divisional Secretariats and acceleration of the issuing of identity cards.

Functionality of Provincial Offices

1. Southern Provincial Office - Divisional Secretariat of Galle For Gravets
2. North western Provincial Office - Third Floor, New Shopping Complex, Kurunegala
3. Northern Provincial Office- Vavuniya Kachcheri Complex
4. Eastern Provincial Office- Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat premises, Batticaloa.

These two offices are fully computerized and the applications received by these offices are computerized and transmitted to the head office online through internet. As the head office receives electronic copies of applications and related documents, the person is registered, the registration assured and the identity card is issued to the person. It has become a very convenient for the public.

Proposed provincial offices

1. Sabaragamuwa Provincial Office – Ratnapura
2. Central Province – Nuwaraeliya
3. Uva Province – Badulla
4. North Central Province – Anuradapura