National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa has accused the government of awarding the tender to develop Sri Lanka’s electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) system to an Indian non-profit organization, raising serious national data security concerns.
Speaking at a media briefing, Weerawansa claimed the Indian company would gain access to sensitive personal data of Sri Lankan citizens, including biometric details like fingerprints, retina scans, and residential information.
He pointed out that an MoU for the e-NIC project was originally signed in 2021 under the previous government but had not been implemented. The current administration, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, revived the project in 2023 with an allocation of Rs. 3 million.
Weerawansa asserted that Sri Lanka’s Department of Persons Registration had already completed 99% of the technical development locally, at a cost of Rs. 5 billion, and had procured all essential equipment.
He accused the government of sidelining the nearly completed local system and pressuring the department to hand over control to India’s National Institute for Smart Government (NISG), under the pretext that the Sri Lankan system was flawed.
He further alleged that the tender process was conducted solely in India, excluding Sri Lankan companies from applying, and that the awarded Indian firm would have access to highly sensitive data, including information on people’s movements, accommodation, and medical needs.
Weerawansa also criticized the tender terms, claiming the Indian company would only bear 10% liability in the event of a data breach, raising serious questions about accountability.
He said the Indian Ministry of Digital Economy had already approved the deal, and called on authorities to urgently reconsider the decision in the interest of national sovereignty and personal data protection.
