Other States - Kolkata   

Booth capturing a thing of past, says Chief Election Commissioner

KOLKATA: While assuring that 100 per cent of India’s electorate will be issued Electronic Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) within two years, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla said here on Friday that to increase the involvement of the youth in the election process the Commission is contemplating issuing EPICs to college students who are temporarily living outside the area of their residence.

“The plans are still at the drawing board stage,” Mr. Chawla said. For example, if a student residing in Delhi is living in a hostel in Kolkata for more than six months and should choose to vote in an election, he or she can apply for an EPIC card in Kolkata. Three years later, after completing the course the card may be surrendered, Mr. Chawla explained.

The Commission is also looking into the possibility of allowing students to volunteer as assistants of the Booth Level Officer in updating electoral rolls, he said at an interactive session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce.

“This ensures more accurate electoral rolls. If we have clean electoral rolls then we are more than halfway in ensuring free and fair elections,” he said.

Commenting on the importance of involving the youth in the electoral process, the CEC said that the idea of allowing trans-genders to register as “other” came to him after the issue was raised by students at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai and KIIT at Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Chawla said in two years 100 per cent of the 740 million voters will be issued EPIC cards.

While certain States including Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal have done well, he said States like Manipur with 60 per cent EPIC distribution are a challenge.

Asked about the security threat from Maoists in the forthcoming elections in Jharkhand, Mr. Chawla said that the Election Commission would take measures for any eventuality.

Asked about incidents like booth capturing and blocking voters from going to the polls, Mr. Chawla said: “Booth capturing is a thing of the past. A re-poll is immediately ordered at “the slightest smell of a booth capture.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Six labourers injured
Booth capturing a thing of past, says Chief Election Commissioner

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu