CRIME TRACKING NETWORK SYSTEM BY 2011-12:

CRIME TRACKING NETWORK SYSTEM BY 2011-12:

The Rs 2,000-crore project to bring all 16,000 police stations in the country under a single network to counter terror challenges will become operational by 2011-12, Home Minister P Chidambaram said Friday.

He also said the Multi Purpose National Identity Cards (MNIC) will be issued to 1.1 billion resident Indians after the completion of enumeration work next year.

"We are working on Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). That will link each of the 16,000 police station in India so that any of the police station can contact any other police station," he said inaugurating a conference of small entrepreneurship here.

Chidambaram said all the states have appointed nodal officers and all of them have signed MoUs with the Central government for its early completion.

Once the CCTNS is completed, it will mark a quantum jump in country's ability to counter various challenges to internal security, particularly terror threats.

The Home Minister asked technocrats to help the government build a National Counter-terrorism Centre on the lines of the US.

"If the US can have a National Counter-terrorism Centre, why can't we have one in India. So, I wish that your entrepreneurial activities will help us build a sound technology-based system that will enhance the security and efficiency in India...," he said.

The Home Minister said after successful completion of the pilot project of biometric identity card system (MNIC), the government will cover 3,331 coastal villages and the Andaman Nicobar Islands this year under the scheme.

He said over 1.1 billion people would be enumerated for the biometric identity card system. "This year we are covering 12 million people in 3,331 coastal villages and the whole of Andaman Nicobar Islands.

"Next year, we will cover the whole of India -- the 1.1 billion people. Following that we will issue a unique identity number to every resident Indian," he said.

Chidambaram said the unique number will be applicable for income tax, excise duty, ration card, old age pension and NREGA, besides others.