Last week, the Election Commission announced that producing voter identity card is mandatory in all future elections.
I talked to a revenue officer from BTM layout. He confirmed it would be mandatory to have photo identity card from next election onwards. Revenue offices in the respective areas have setup facility to get the photo identity cards. This is where one needs to get the cards.
List of assembly constituencies and ward numbers are given in: http://www.bangalorevoterid.org/pdf/Delimited%20constituencies.pdf
Revenue offices details are available in: http://www.bangalorevoterid.org/pdf/BMP-RV-E-AUG03-P-401.pdf.pdf
In the past few elections, one could show any valid identity proof at the polling booth, as long as the name and details are present correctly in the electoral roll. From now on, one must furnish the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) at the polling booth.
As a part of EPIC special campaign – 2008, ECI announced that: Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) special campaigning is going on.
You can register your name or get a photo ID only at the revenue offices now.
- In Bangalore (Urban) District and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike areas, EPIC Campaign is on and has been extended up to 30th September, 2008.
- In the remaining districts, EPIC Campaign is taken up and will be on till 30th September, 2008.
- Electors whose names are already in the Electors Roll, but do not have EPIC, may have their photographs taken in the designated photographic locations for the issue of EPIC.
- For inclusion of names in the Electoral Roll, submit application in Form-6 to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer / Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, under acknowledgement. If corrections are required in the electoral roll, apply in Form-8.
- EPIC Special Campaign-2008 will conclude 30th September, 2008. This is the last chance for electors to get EPIC.
- Photographs taken for issue of EPIC will appear in the photo electoral roll hereafter. The electoral list would have the photo of the voter along with the details. It would be verified against the person who is voting and the voter card. This is newly being implemented in Karnataka for the first time in India.
The above is applicable to all assembly constituencies of Karnataka. EPIC is is must for voting in all future elections.
The excellent way to prevent frauds in elections and fake ID cards, and various types of Ids like bank pass book, telephone bills, drivibg licence etc were giving room for fake voters. There is keen need for photo Identity cards issued by the Election Commission. This has been achieved only aftyer 62 years of independence. Now next stage is candidates who have criminal records must be banned from contesting until thy are cleared by the court.
B S GANESH ganshar@dataone.in
Hanumanthnagar BANGALORE
Unfortunately, photo identity cards even with the latest technology are fairly easy to clone, duplicate and create. Photo id cards will not work unless there are motivated people manning the relevant check point. In practice this is very difficult to achieve, since one person often needs to check several thousand photo ids per day: fatigue sets in fast and the authentication system fails.