Bhutan issues new citizenship cards

Jaigaon, January 23: The ongoing census in Bhutan has left the new citizenship certificate in the hand of Bhutanese citizens under the files F1 and F4 of the citizenship act of 1988 excluding the other under the remaining files.

The new citizenship card which is already been issued in Thimphu in 2004 has the validity of ten years.

According to an ex-teacher from Punakha who recently faced the census, the card bears the name and the ID card number on one face under the two photographs at the upper corners and the year of issue and expiry on the other face under the next photograph of the holder.The card contains no other informations rather than the dark parallel lines on both sides like that in International System of Book Numbering (ISBN). Altogether there are three photographs of the holder.

"The census has recently been completed on the southern districts of Dagana, Sarbang,Samchi and Chirang with the issuance of the new citizenship certificate", the source stated.

The procedure of the census starts with the verification of the information and data sent from the Home Ministry followed by the academic and profession inquiry of the individual and ends with the photo session for the to be issued citizenship certificate.The source further said," the absence of a single member of the family halts the census for indefinite period".

The source also informed BNS that the land and the house are still on the name of owner who is the exiled Bhutanese camp now and whose sons, most probably, are residing inside Bhutan.

The land of those evicted isssued to the settlers from eastern and northern part of Bhutan, who are up to now living on temporary huts, is not allowed to buy and sell hitherto. Bhutan News Service/Devi Pokhrel