March 5, 2002
‘7’
VOTERS IDENTITY CARDS
The Centre has released a sum of Rs. 424,45,61,710 to the States and Union Territories towards reimbursement of its share of 50 per cent expenditure on the scheme of electors photo identity cards, so far. A total of 402,655,806 photo identity cards have been issued as on date covering a total of 64.25 per cent of total 626,672,714 electors in the country. The photo identity cards for voters, however, in Assam and Mozoram are not being issued currently in view of ongoing disputes regarding illegal immigration and citizen issues.
The scheme to issue photo identity cards to electors is not a project but a programme for the completion of which no time limit can be fixed as the registration of electors is a continuous and ongoing process (excepting for a brief period between the last date for filing nomination and completion of electoral process) on account of more number of persons becoming eligible for the right of franchise on attaining the age of 18 years as also due to movement of electors. The Election Commission has already made the use of these cards along with other forms of identification compulsory for identification of voters during the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Pondicherry in 2001 and during the just concluded General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Manipur, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.
The Central Government has not been assigned any specific role in the implementation of the scheme except that it has to reimburse 50 per cent of the expenditure on the scheme. The Election Commission of India, which monitors and implements the scheme, has informed that it has issued instructions that the electors’ photo identity card numbers should be reflected against names of the holder in the electoral roll. It has also provided for necessary safeguards for dealing with any discrepancies occurring in the way of implementation of the scheme.