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Contactless smart cards for workers in India
21 Jan 2010

Workers in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India will soon be able to obtain contactless smart cards to help them find jobs in the area. 

According to Express Buzz, the biometric identification will initially be implemented in five states, before being rolled out across the region.

Sreekantan Nair, Deputy Development Commissioner of the Rural Development Department, told the site that card-holders will be identified by their fingerprint and will then be able to use the contactless smart card to register their demand for work.

"The project aims to use information technology to make the system of allotment of work more speedy and transparent," he said.

Mr Nair went on to add that if a registered worker is unable to find employment within 15 days of registering with the scheme then they will be eligible for unemployment benefit.

He adds that the cards will also help with transferring wages, while dispelling the chances of workers being employed on the basis of favouritism. 

Similarly, the Nepali government recently advised that it will be introducing a contactless smart card identification system that can be used in the place of driving licences and passports.