Work to prepare the National Population Register, enlisting details of each Indian national, has been started in coastal areas in February and it will be extended to the rest of the country next year, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Preparing the National Population Register will coincide with the national census in 2010-11, Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images] told the Lok Sabha in reply to questions. For coastal villages, the process has been advanced and the pilot project has been started this month, he said.

For preparation of the NPR, details of specific characteristics, including photographs and finger biometrics, will be collected for each individual.

The register will include information about all those who are aged 18 years and above. The first phase of the project would cover the coastal villages of nine maritime states and four union territories.

Chidambaram said after the NPR is ready, Multi-purpose National Identity Cards would be issued to Indian citizens by the Unique Identification Authority of India, which will manage the database as well as its updating. The register is being prepared to ensure that foreigners do not manage to overstay or stay illegally in the country.

On the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, Chidambaram said steps have been taken to stop it, besides detecting and deporting those who have already managed to get into India. Giving details of the interceptions or apprehensions on the Indo-Bangladesh border by the Border Security Force during the last few years, he said 5,130 people were intercepted in 2006, 4,206 in 2007, 2,559 in 2008 and 199 this year till January.

On the Indo-Pakistan border, he said 128 interceptions were made in 2006, 128 in 2007, 131 in 2008 and 7 this year till January. Enlisting steps taken to stop infiltration from Bangladesh, he said these included stepping up of patrolling, setting up of additional border outposts and construction of a fence.