Zee news
 
New Delhi, Aug 6: To help Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) participate in the democratic process, a parliamentary panel has favoured a comprehensive bill to clear ambiguities in issues like enrollment of NRIs, mode of casting votes and norms for contesting elections instead of repeatedly amending the Representation of People Act, 1950.

The committee, which tabled its report in Parliament recently, said, "Instead of amending the Act repeatedly and making the provisions ambiguous and complicated the committee has recommended for a comprehensive bill to bring all exemptions at one place in a single clause".

It has asked the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice to redefine the terms "ordinarily resident" and "temporary absence" "appropriately and comprehensively" so that conditionalities regarding NRIs' casting their votes and contesting elections were clear.

Amending section 20 of the act would enlarge the scope of "ordinarily resident" and make provision for Indian citizens living abroad owing to employment, education or otherwise, to get their names registered in electoral rolls and cast vote even when they are living outside.

Under the existing provisions armed forces, para-military forces, armed forces serving outside and officials posted in foreign missions are exempted from the requirement of ordinary residence. The armed forces and paramilitary forces have been given proxy voting while the other two categories has been grated postal ballot voting.

NRIs are required to be physically present in their constituency to vote.