In a major move, the Centre and States on Tuesday decided to introduce identity cards to tackle illegal immigration by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis and launch a three-month drive from April to detect and deport such nationals, who Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani said posed a 'serious threat' to internal security and needed to be 'thrown out'.

A pilot project for issuing I-cards would be launched in specified regions in 13 states covering a population of 2.85 million (28.5 lakh) from April one at a cost of Rs 140 million (Rs 14 crore), Union Home Secretary N Gopalaswami told reporters in Delhi after the day-long Conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) on Internal Security.

The states where the project would be started are Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Pondicherry and Delhi.

The special drives to identify and deport illegally staying foreign nationals would take place between April and June this year and a nodal officer would oversee and monitor its progress and report to the home ministry.

Inaugurating the Conference, Advani voiced serious concern over 11,500 Pakistanis and 15 million Bangladeshis staying illegally in India and directed the state governments to launch 'special drives' to detect and deport them as they posed a serious threat to national security.

"There is no reason why our States be soft on them. Immediate steps should be taken to identify them, locate them and throw them out," Advani said.

He also asked the police top brass to present figures of how many illegally overstaying Pakistanis were traced last year.

The Centre had delegated the power to detect and deport such people to the states and Union Territories, he added.

Regarding the 'serious problem' of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, he said, "This problem also needs to be tackled firmly by all state governments."

Observing that the Centre was seriously considering preparing a National Register of Indian Citizens and issuing to them Multi-purpose National Identity Cards, Advani said these would provide a credible identification system and also act as a deterrent for illegal immigration.

Advani, who also holds the home portfolio, allayed fears about the practicability of issuing such cards and said, "With advanced technology that we have, we can successfully implement this."

Referring to a recent Conference on Registration of Births and Deaths, he expressed dismay that many states had no correct figures on demographic changes.

On Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, Advani said Islamabad's main intention was not to get Jammu and Kashmir, but destabilise India.

"Secularism and democracy have taken roots in India and this has become an eyesore for our western neighbour," he said.

Asserting that every effort should be made to eliminate terrorists, the deputy prime minister said focus should also be on those people who functioned within the country and made it vulnerable to terrorist designs.

He said, "No country, however big and powerful it may be, can feel safe from terrorist activities. The September 11 attacks on the US have proved this. All countries should join hands to fight the menace."