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EC assures to introduce VVPAT by 2019 LS Elections
According to sources, the Election Commission said it would receive updated VVPATs in the time period stretching from August 2017 to September 2018.
New Delhi: Welcoming the demand of implementing Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said it has received the finances for buying the device and will have them activated by 2019 General Elections.
According to sources, the Election Commission said it would receive updated VVPATs in the time period stretching from August 2017 to September 2018.
The EC also asserted that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would take place in the VVPAT format.
The Election Commission today convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms.
In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the Commission sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPAT.
The poll panel will try to assure parties that the EVMs cannot be hacked in any manner.
Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs.
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However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper proof and cannot be manipulated.
The poll panel intends to use VVPAT units attached with EVMs in the coming elections for greater transparency and to keep voters' confidence in the electoral process.
The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly 3200 crore rupees to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the EC.
Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules. (With ANI inputs)