Tripura: ECI to launch two months drive to link AADHAR with EPIC

The Election Commission of India has taken an initiative of linking Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC) of 27 lakh voters of Tripura with their AADHAR card and for which a two months special drive shall be launched across the state from coming 1st August, announced a senior official of the ECI here.

Addressing a press conference in the secretariat on Saturday, Tripura’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kiran Gitte said, “As per the amendment of the Representation of the People Act 1950 and 1951 in the Parliament and which has been upheld in the Supreme Court, in Tripura we are launching a two months drive from coming August 1 for linking AADHAR with electoral photo identity card (EPIC).”

“For this across the state BLOs (Booth Level Officers) shall visit every household with new forms to collect the AADHAR number which is to be linked with their voter card.”

The CEO claimed that in Tripura 99 percent database of voters list is clean and with the new initiative of linking AADHAR number with the EPIC it shall further reduce the possibility of duplication of names in voter lists beside help in identification of bogus voters.

However, he assured the voters regarding the secrecy of their AADHAR number and said that it shall not come in the voter list, voter slip or in any public domain but only used internally in the data base to filter the bogus voters, stop misusing of the voter photo identity card and to assure one person one vote.

The CEO also announced that unlike the ongoing system of only once in a year, the electoral roll shall be updated every quarter or four time in a year and all eligible youngsters can enroll name in the voters list in advance after attaining 17-years of age so that as soon they attain the age of 18 years, they can cast their vote.

Gitte also spoke regarding gender neutral provision for service and special electors beside power to acquire premises for the purpose of conducting elections.