Photo electoral rolls in Meghalaya polls: Naik

Shillong, Oct 5 (UNI) The Election Commission has decided to introduce photo electoral rolls to check bogus voters in the coming Assembly elections in Meghalaya.

Talking to newspersons here, the statae Chief Electoral Officer P Naik today said the photograph of every eligible voter would figure on the rolls along with the name and elector number to check bogus voters.

This would be in addition to the ongoing Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).

Mr Naik said the department also ensures that students who study outside can fill up Form-6 and submission can be done by any of his relatives. Such students can also register on-line. However, voting cannot be done on-line, he added.

'' Dual registration in electoral rolls is a crime and a person found to register names in two places is liable for a one-year imprisonment or a fine or both,'' he said.

The CEO also informed that a person who attains the franchise age before January 1, 2008 can also register as electorate.

''They don't need to wait till they attain the age of 18,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the election department has come up with a summary revision of electoral rolls and has scheduled January 1, 2008 as the qualifying date.

Mr Naik said under the direction of the National Election Commission the department has chalked out October 10 for draft publication of photo electoral rolls. He informed that the period for filing of claims and objections is allowed till october 25; disposal of claims and objections should be made by November 20 and data entry up to December 3.

The final publication of photo electoral rolls is scheduled for January 10.

UNI