Paper trail machine matter on Cabinet agenda today

The Cabinet has decided to discuss the matter of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), sources said.

For Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Cabinet has so far cleared two tranches of Rs. 1,009 crore and Rs. 9,200 for the Election Commission to buy new voting machines.

Since June, 2014, the Commission has given at least 11 reminders to the government seeking funds for VVPAT machines.

Last year, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing his attention to the funds needed for the machines.

The Supreme Court has asked the Commission to give a tentative timeframe by which it can use VVPAT machines in all polling stations.

The Bahujan Samaj Party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress had attacked the Election Commission for allegedly using "tampered" EVMs.

VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box but the voter cannot take it home.

The voters see voter-verifiable paper audit trail slip for seven seconds, which would be an acknowledgement receipt for the party they voted for in the election.