Voter ID to be valid as address proof, says poll panel

The Elector's Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) will be treated as residential proof of a citizen in India, an Election Commission official said here Tuesday.

"An intensive house-to-house survey will be launched soon to incorporate latest information about the residential address of a citizen. Then, a fresh EPIC will be issued to eligible voters," the Election Commission official told IANS.

He said: "The EPIC with the latest information of the voters would be treated as residential proof to serve numerous purposes."

Booth level officers (BLO) will conduct the survey across the country to collect data about the residential address of all the electors. "The Election Commission has directed all the states to conduct the survey by the BLOs," the official added.

The Election Commission started the scheme of EPICs in 1993 to prevent impersonation during polls. In 2004, the poll panel had introduced photo electoral rolls.

Coverage of both EPICs and photographs in the electoral rolls has increased significantly in the last few years. At present, the all-India coverage of EPICs is approximately 95 percent and photo images in the electoral rolls is about 90 percent.

According to the official, the commission has decided that a concerted effort would be made to achieve 100 percent EPIC coverage and photo affixed electoral rolls soon.