The Hindu : Front Page : EPIC distribution hit by flaws galore

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Friday, Dec 26, 2008
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EPIC distribution hit by flaws galore

Software found to be inefficient, insist officials

HYDERABAD: Some things never change. Even with availability of photo electoral rolls in the twin cities, the making and distribution of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) is turning out to be farcical.

Despite periodic meetings with local officials, the Election Commission seems to be unable to iron out some of the obvious flaws in the exercise. A random check of EPICs being issued will give an idea of the shoddy job being done with blanks and meaningless addresses.

Cards distribution too is tardy if not with errors. And startlingly, most errors “cannot” be corrected thanks to the faulty software that continues to be in use. The software is also unable to spot duplication of names, lament officials.

“The software has seven templates within which corrections have to be made. Any new colony, apartment or street cannot be incorporated. Hence, we have been issuing cards with addresses available with the software,” shrugged an official nonchalantly.

The e-registration route is not easy as the page does not open most times. In fact, senior election officials themselves admit to being unable to open the site. “All it takes is a few lakh rupees and a week’s time to design efficient software for the purpose,” averred another official.

Functioning of the designated photo lamination (DPL) centres where cards are prepared is not up to mark, accept officials. “We have absolutely no control over them. A single contract has been given to eight Assembly constituencies and persons manning them are difficult to trace,” sighed an official.

With pace of cards preparation slow, most electoral registration officers have been issued less than half the number that was supposed to be distributed within a month. If getting persons to do the election work is tough, the casual approach continues in distributing the cards.

Signatures

Most are being dumped in bundles with the watchman of a complex without taking the requisite signatures as per rules. “We have brought the issues to the notice of the EC at a recent meeting,” said an official.

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