CEC Sunil Arora reviews EVP progress in TN

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Thursday reviewed the progress made in the electors verification programme (EVP) in Tamil Nadu at a meeting of various district election officers here on Thursday.

Arora, on a brief visit to the city, along with Senior deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena and state Chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo also reviewed the progress on the preparatory activities for the Special Summary Revision 2020, an official release said.

The EVP launched in September across the country allows a voter from each family to get a username and password, enabling the individual to upload all documents related to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or family members.

The idea behind the programme was to empower voters to assess electoral roll details, self-authenticate and can rectify if there are any mistakes.

During the review meeting here, issues related to formulation of a single form for inclusion or deletion or modifications in the voter ID cards was discussed at length.

The respective district election officers were instructed to send their feedback on the subject, the release said.

Arora said Sahoo be co-opted henceforth as member in the Working Group formed at Election Commission of India level to study and suggest improvements on the electoral roll, model code of conduct and information technology.

Select district election officers would be invited as special invitees, he was quoted as saying.

The CEC appreciated the office of the CEO for various SVEEP (Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation) activities carried out and also directed the officials that a translated version be sent to the commission.

Arora lauded the initiatives taken on electoral verification programme, implementation of Garuda System GPS vehicle tracking among others, the release said.

District election officers of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Theni and Tirunelveli participated in the meeting.