EC would not accept slum clearance allotment as document

Chennai, May 5 (UNI) The Election Commission of India today said Slum clearance board allotment order, village administrative officer certificate and community certificate would not be accepted as identification document for voters to exercise the franchise on the poll day.

In a release here, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer(CEO), Naresh Gupta clarified that in the earlier press release issued on May two, the words ''slum clearance board allotment'' had been mentioned due to oversight.

Mr Gupta said some apprehensions had been expressed over the possibility of printing and distribution of ration cards just on the eve of elections and using them as identification documents.

This would be in violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Mr Gupta said.

Only ration cards printed on or before December 31, 2005, will be accepted for identification at the time of voting, he added.

He said the Commission had directed the people to bring their photo-identity cards on the polling day for identification. The electorate, who were not issued identity cards, could use any one of the 13 documents permitted by the Commission to identify the voters.

Passports, driving licences issued up to December 31, 2005, PAN cards, service identity cards with photo issued to its employees by State/Central Government, public sector undertakings (PSUs), local bodies or public limted companies, passbooks with photo issued by the public sector banks, post office and kisan passbooks, student ID cards with photo issued by the recognised educational institutions, ration cards, pension documents with photo, old age and widow pension order with photo, railway identification cards with photo, freedom fighter identity cards, arms licence with phot, ID cards with photo issued by the Directorate of Disability for people with disability, are permitted by the EC, the release added.

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