CPI(M) welcomes govt decision to clear funds for VVPAT

The CPI(M) today welcomed the government's decision to clear funds for purchasing voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines and asked it to ensure that the money is released for the stated purpose.
"We have been demanding it (VVPAT). The (previous) Manmohan Singh government had released 20 per cent fund for purchasing VVPAT.
"But the Modi government did nothing for past three years. It is good that the cabinet has approved it today," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
Yechury further asked the government to not remain confined to taking decision in this case and insisted that money be released so that the machines are available for the upcoming polls.

The Union Cabinet today cleared a proposal of the Election Commission to procure the paper trail machines for use during future elections.
The decision comes in the wake of growing demand from opposition parties for holding all future elections using paper trail machines along with EVMs, to clear doubts about votes cast.

The EC has sought Rs 3,174 crore in all for procuring over 16 lakh paper trail machines to cover all polling stations in the country.
The 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.