The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 21 alternative documents can be used for voting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 18, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

21 alternative documents can be used for voting

Special Correspondent

Those without EPICs can use alternative documents
They include PAN card, passport and driving licence

BANGALORE: The Election Commission of India has issued an order that voters who have been issued Elector’s Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) should produce these cards to establish their identity in order to vote in the two-phase elections to the Lok Sabha on April 23 and 30.

The Election Commission has also permitted voters who have not obtained EPICs to vote provided their identity is otherwise established by production of one of the 21 alternative documents prescribed by the commission: passport; driving licence; Permanent Account Number (PAN) card; service identity card issued to employees by State/Union Government, public sector undertakings, local bodies or other public limited companies with photograph; passbook issued by public sector banks, post office and Kisan Passbooks with photograph (accounts opened up to February 28, 2009); property document such as pattas, registered deeds, etc., with photograph; SC/ST/OBC certificate issued by competent authority with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); pension documents such as ex-servicemen’s pension book/pension payment order, ex-serviceman’s widow/dependent certificate, old age pension order, widow pension order with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); freedom fighter identity card with photograph; arms licence (issued up to February 28, 2009); certificate of disability with photograph issued by competent authority (issued up to February 28, 2009); job cards issued under NREGA with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); and health insurance scheme smart card with photograph (Ministry of Labour scheme, issued up to February 28, 2009).

Family

Further, the Election Commission has also ordered that any of the above-mentioned documents available only to the head of the family may be used for identifying other members of the family, provided all members come together and are identified by the head of the family.

In its order on April 16, the commission included eight more alternative documents, and they are: student identity card with photograph issued by recognised educational institutions (issued on or before September 1, 2008); ration card with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); ex-servicemen’s CSD canteen card with photograph; Sandya Suraksha Scheme card with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); Yeshasvini card with photograph (issued up to February 28, 2009); service identity card with photograph issued by local bodies such as municipal corporation, CMC, TMC, gram panchayat, etc.; senior citizen’s card with photograph of the holder of the card issued by a government department; and computer-generated temporary ration cards, in original, issued by the Food and Civil Supplies Department containing the names and ages of members of the family and indicating their relationship to the head of the family.

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