Election Photo ID cards for all electors soon: Delhi CM

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today instructed Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, to make elaborate arrangement for issuance of Election Photo I-card to all the remaining electors soon by commissioning all the 70 Voter Registration and Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) Centers (VREC) at the earliest.

A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister here.

Mrs Dikshit stressed the need of issuing EPIC to all voters in Delhi to facilitate smooth holding of Assembly elections, scheduled next year.

She further directed new Divisional Commissioner Rakesh Bihari to coordinate efforts of all concerned Departments including the CEO, P.W.D. and SDMs to ensure completion of the entire process without any further delay.

In the meeting, also attended by Industries and Election Minister Mangat Ram Singh, Chief Secretary Ramesh Narayanswami, Secretary (Finance), Divisional Commissioner, CEO and all Revenue Dy.

Commissioners, it was reported that sixth VREC would be made functional on Friday and sites for another 44 had already been identified.

The VRECs are to be commissioned in every Assembly Segment.

Identification of sites for remaining 20 Segments would be expedited. The Divisional Commissioner has been instructed to function as Nodal Officer. All the concerned officers have been instructed to bring any bottleneck straight to the notice of the Chief Secretary.

With the commissioning of all 70 VRECs the work relating to issue of EPIC to voters would gain desired momentum and would be completed by June 30.

These centers would function as permanent office for updating, deletion, addition and transfer of entries of electors and issue of EPIC. Delhi Government has already sanctioned adequate staff and financial allocation for this purpose.

VRECs have already been commissioned in Seemapuri, Timarpur, Nangoli Jat, Mehrauli and Mangolpuri whereas another VREC in Ram Nagar would become functional on Friday. The present EPIC coverages 62.5 per cent.

Election Commission of India has directed all Chief Electoral Officers in the country to appoint Booth Level Officers for all the polling stations for ensuring fidelity of Electoral Rolls for which action would be initiated accordingly.

As far as preparation of Photo Rolls is concerned, the District Election Officer (North) has started an exercise on pilot basis in Timarpur Assembly Constituency.

UNI