HYDERABAD, Aug 28: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has decided to close one of its three swift registration centres located in the centre of the city creating problems for thousands of applicants of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs).

A banner has been displayed outside the State Life building on the Fatima Jinnah Road, informing CNIC seekers of Kotri and Hyderabad city that after Aug 31, they would have to approach the registration centre located in Latifabad Unit No.8 near Siddique Plaza.

The entire record on the computer’s server of the swift registration centre would be shifted to the Latifabad office.

The centre in the State Life building was the first that started working in September 2003. In December a centre was opened in Hirabad and another centre was set up in Latifabad in June 2005.

The Nadra provincial authorities had also set up a card distribution centre in the Liberty Market area.

Since the swift registration centre had an easy access, residents of the Cantonment area, Saddar, Civil Lines, Shah Faisal colony, Gari Khata, Resham Gali, Pucca Qilla, Resham Gali¸ Doaba police line, police line Hyderabad, Lajpat road, Khokhar Mohalla preferred to go here.

Around 400 to 500 CNIC seekers and those having different queries approached this office. People who needed verification of their cards in view of some litigation, licence, passport, overseas CNICs, form-B also came there.

Some people present outside the Nadra centre office said that shifting of the office to Latifabad would create difficulties for a large number of people of areas around the centre.

“No direct conveyance is available to Latifabad Unit 8 for people. They will have to go to Tulsidas road first or Gharib Nawaz bridge for boarding Latifabad-bound pick-ups. Only those having their motorbikes would find it easy but it would also be a long route for them to reach Latifabad from Saddar, Khokhar Mohalla, Pakka Qilla,” they maintained.

Reports said that earlier Nadra’s provincial headquarter authorities had decided to set up the same office in GOR colony where another registration office was located but this idea was dropped on the instructions of Islamabad-based authorities for unknown reasons without giving any consideration to problems.

The staff working in the registration centre would be shifted to other offices in districts like Tando Mohammad Khan, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, etc.

It was learnt that the Hirabad swift registration centres would be shifted in the card distribution centre of Liberty Market because the authorities wanted to ensure both the operation of card’s distribution and preparation from one office.

Reports said that workload of the Latifabad office staff would automatically increase because they would have to cater to needs of almost double the population of entire Latifabad.

The number of people living in Latifabad is itself very large and after shifting of territorial jurisdiction of city area to the Latifabad centre would lead to additional burden.

Swift registration centre’s Assistant Manager Deen Mohammad Junejo declined to respond to queries on the ground that they had been asked to only display the banners and further directives were awaited.

The official said he could not disclose any details for the time being.