VOTER IDENTITY CARDS IN STATES
GOING TO POLLS
The Election Commission
of India has issued instructions to the States of Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and NCT of Delhi, where the elections
to State Assemblies are due to be held in the later half of this
year, to accelerate the process of issuing voter identity cards.
These States have been asked to achieve at least 85 – 90 per cent
target before 30.09.2003, i.e. well before the general elections
to their respective Legislative Assemblies.
According to
the Election Commission voter identity cards have not been issued
to all the eligible electors in the aforesaid States, so far.
The Election Commission has informed the Ministry of Law &
Justice that the electoral roll is the basis for issuing voter
identity cards to the registered electors. The voter identity
card work has been primarily delayed due to revision of electoral
rolls in these States with reference to 1.1.2003 as the qualifying
date. In the State of Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, the rolls have
been finally published on January 6, 2003 and in Rajasthan, the
final publication has been made on 28.2.03. In NCT of Delhi, the
rolls of all except one constituency have been finally published
by 20.3.03. In case of Madhya Pradesh, the electoral rolls programme
had to be revised from time to time due to various reasons and
as per the existing schedule, the rolls are to be finally published
on June 30, 2003. This delay in the revision of rolls has delayed
the process of issuing the voters identity cards. There are also
some other reasons, like delay in sanction of funds, inadequate
infrastructural facility, inclement weather, tough geographical
terrain, poor response of the electors at the designated photographic
locations etc., that have affected the programme adversely.
The Election
Commission has informed the Ministry that it will review the position
in these States for compulsory production of voters identity cards
during the polls at an appropriate time and will issue necessary
orders. However, in the recent past as a matter of abundant caution,
the Commission has permitted the old electors who have not obtained
their voter identity cards, to exercise their franchise to vote
at the said elections, provided their identity is otherwise established
by production of one of the alternative documents prescribed by
the Commission.
This was stated
by the Minister of Law & Justice and Commerce and Industry,
Shri Arun Jaitley, in reply to a question by Dr. Abrar Ahmed in
the Rajya Sabha today.
