EC wants nearly 14 lakh new EVMs at over Rs 5,511 crore

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission wants to purchase nearly 14 lakh new electronic voting machines worth Rs 5511.48 crore against the backdrop of over nine lakh such machines in use nearing end of their 15-year life.

The Law Ministry has given its "in principle" approval to buy the new EVMs.

In a proposal sent to the Law Ministry, the Commission said 9,30,430 EVMs in use today would become "outdated" between 2015-16 and 2019-20.

It has moved a proposal to buy 13,95,648 new balloting units and 9,30,432 control units at an estimated cost of Rs 5511.48 crore during financial years 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

An EVM consists of a control unit and a balloting unit connected by a five-meter cable.

The control unit is with the presiding officer and the balloting unit is placed inside the voting compartment to allow voters cast their vote by pressing the blue button alongside the name of the candidate of their choice.

"We have received the proposal. It has been given in principle approval by the Law Ministry. Now, a committee on non plan expenditure headed by Secretary Expenditure in the Finance Ministry will approve the proposal before the Law Ministry takes it to the Union Cabinet for final approval," said a senior Law Ministry functionary.

The Legislative Department in the Law Ministry is the nodal unit for EC.

A meeting of the committee was scheduled for last week but it was postponed.