Keep an eye on bulk purchase of SIM cards: Delhi EC to telecos

NEW DELHI: In an effort to check electoral malpractice, Delhi Election Commission has issued specific instructions to telecom operators to keep an eye on bulk purchase of SIM cards especially pre-paid ones.

In separate letters to the firms including Airtel, MTNL, Reliance, Vodafone and Idea, Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Vijay Dev told them to "properly verify" all details and follow the laid-down norms before issuing any new connection to customers.

"Basically what happens during the electoral period is to avoid expenditure being counted, several party workers or candidates use unnamed SIM cards either for issuing bulk messages through those numbers or for using Internet services and social media through the mobile numbers so that they do not come under our expenditure calculation," Dev told PTI.

"That is why we have directed all mobile service providers to keep a strict vigil on bulk purchase of SIM cards especially the pre-paid ones," he said.

The Chief Electoral Officer held a couple of meetings with the telecom operators following which the directions have been issued.

The multiple objective of initiating such a step is to keep a check on the expenditure details of the candidates and to ensure that model code of conduct is not violated apart from ensuring a conducive atmosphere for free and fair election, he said.

Dev further informed that any "abnormal sale" of SIM cards in any area must be immediately reported to his office with required details such as name of the vendor and quantity of purchase.

According to the directions, mobile service providers have been asked to submit detailed information about bulk SMSes (more than 100 SMSes of political nature) every day to the CEO's office.

Dev has also ordered prohibition on transmitting bulk SMSes from 5 PM on April 8 till 5 PM on April 10. The campaign for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi will come to an end on April 8 and voting will take place on April 10.

The Chief Electoral Officer has also asked all telecom service providers to strengthen their mobile networks around the 2,500 polling stations in the city so that the authorities do not face any problem in conduct of the election.

They have been told to improve their services around the offices of all the seven returning officers and in areas where counting of votes will take place.

Officials said during the 2013 Delhi assembly elections, authorities faced problems due to poor connectivity of some of the mobile service providers.

Over 1.20 crore voters will be exercising their franchise for seven Parliamentary constituencies in Delhi.

Dev said specific initiatives are being taken to ensure maximum voter turn out and break the record of highest polling percentage of 65.86 achieved in the 2013 Delhi assembly polls.