Election Commission asks CEOs to get 100 per cent EPIC and photo coverage

NEW DELHI - The Election Commission of India has decided that a concerted effort should be made to achieve 100 percent Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) coverage and photo coverage in electoral rolls by the end of the current year.

The EPIC scheme started in the year 1993 to prevent impersonation at the time of polls. Another decision was taken by the EC in this direction in the year 2004 was to print Photo Electoral Rolls (PERs).

At present the all India coverage of EPICs is approximately 82 percent and photo images in the electoral rolls is approximately 77 percent.

Detailed discussions were held with all CEOs on this issue at the Chief Electoral Officers’ Conference in Jaisalmer during the month of February 2010.

A working group of CEOs was constituted for this purpose. On the recommendations of the working group, the EC issued instructions to Chief Electoral Officers of all States/ UTs in March for achieving 100 percent coverage in electoral rolls by the end of 2010.

Chief Electoral Officers have also been asked to furnish a fortnightly progress report to the Commission on the maximization of photos in the roll. (ANI)