Election Commission wants funds to buy VVPATs for 2019 polls
Zaidi said that the Supreme Court has directed the poll panel to submit the approximate time.
New Delhi: At a time when many Opposition parties are alleging tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has asked the government to expedite release of funds for procurement of paper trail machines before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In a letter to the law ministry, Mr Zaidi said that the Supreme Court has directed the poll panel to submit the approximate time within which the entire system of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) can be introduced.
“The process of procurement of VVPATs cannot be delayed any longer... The commission stands fully committed to deploy VVP-ATs along with EVMs in all future elections so that transparency of electoral process is enhanced, integrity of the voting preserved and the voters’ confidence is strengthened," the CEC has written.