-------- Original Message --------
Subject: DI press hand out-8
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:35:39 +0530
From: DIRECTOR INFORMATION PUBLICITY <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*SPECIAL REVISION OF PHOTO ELECTORAL ROLLS*
Panaji, July 30, 2008
The Election office of the State Government has apprised that as per the
new guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India,(ECI) the
existing Electoral Rolls are to be converted to Photo Electoral Rolls
throughout the country by the year 2009. The Department has assessed
the availability of elector's photographs on the existing rolls and
noted that a substantial number of Elector's Photographs were either too
old or not clear. Wherever the electors have not got themselves
photographed for issue of Elector's Photo I Cards(EPICs) there also
there was a need to obtain the Elector's latest Photographs.
The Election Office has started a campaign for preparation and issue of
EPICs to left out voters. After starting from District headquarters the
teams have now moved to Taluka HQs for completing this exercise. The
issue of photographing those electors whose photographs are either not
available or not of good quality is also being taken up simultaneously.
However taking note of the fact that it may not be the best option to
call all such cases for photography in one lot it has been decided to
provide such electors an option of submitting the respective photographs
through application forms to the offices of respective Electoral
Registration Officers(EROs).
Department noted that there is also a need to inform those electors
whose photographs are missing or of bad quality. A vote friendly
procedure has been devised by the ECI. The EROs shall therefore inform
such electors in writing and request them to apply with two photographs.
The Department has deployed services of more than 1000 Designated
Officers drawn from various Government Departments, each of whom is
designated for one particular polling Station.
The Designated Officers shall coordinate this exercise between the
electors and the EROs. The form to be filled up is known as ECI-EPIC-001B.
Similar innovative voter friendly measures have been taken for the
electors applying for enrolment as elector for the first time. Now they
have to fill the mandatory Form-6 as well as non-statutory
form(ECI-EPIC-001A) and submit with two photographs to EROs.
This will ensure that the requisite photographs given by them are
scanned and affixed electronically to the roll as well as the EPIC
issued to them.
However, in order to prevent misuse of the facility by persons not
ordinarily resident at the given point of time, it is mandatory that
persons opting to avail the opportunity must present themselves in
person before Deputy Collector/ERO & Mamlatdar, Joint Mamlatdar/ AERO
either at the time of submission of the form with photograph or at the
time of delivery of the EPIC.
Department has clarified that the above system of accepting photographs
is purely optional and the elector can get himself photographed at the
EPIC preparation Centre.
While clarifying the above issue the Department would like to advise the
Electors not to panic and avoid creating unnecessary crowds at the EPIC
centres. It has also reminded that submission of false information or
attempting to obtain EPIC on basis of wrong information is a punishable
offence.
DI/NB/NUD/SM/JA/LN/2008/
--
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY.
THIRD FLOOR,UDYOG BHAVAN,
NEAR AZAD MAIDAN, PANAJI GOA
PHONE-0832-2422675
0832-2226047
0832-2426168
FAX 0832-2224211
