The Hindu
Mangalore, Mar 14: A large number of the over 13-lakh voters in Dakshina Kannada district may not be able to exercise their franchise in the coming Lok Sabha elections owing to discrepancies in their voters’ identity cards. Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj told presspersons here on Friday that the Election Commission’s database did not have the photographs of an estimated two lakh voters in the district, even as they had obtained their Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). As per the latest regulations, unless the photo in the EPIC matches with the one in the computer system installed at the respective polling booth, the voter cannot exercise his/her franchise.
This problem had arisen because the Election Commission did not fix the photographs of voters in their electoral rolls during the previous EPIC and enrolment drives. The electoral rolls prepared earlier had only personal data of the voter.
Re-processing
Mr. Ponnuraj has urged the voters in the district to come forward and have themselves photographed at the various facilitation centres. These centres offer a ‘single-window’ clearance for all election-related questions.
Earlier, people had to go to different centres to submit applications, get themselves photographed, and get the errors rectified.
Two centres
There are two voters’ facilitation centres in the city – one on the taluk office premises here, opposite Town Hall (meant for voters in Mangalore north-202) and another at the Mangalore City Corporation’s commercial complex at Lalbagh (for those from Mangalore South-203). The centres will be open between 8 a.m. and 12 noon, and between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on week days, and between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays.
In rural areas these centres are located at the block headquarters and will be open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all days.
Expressing disappointment over a low turn out at these centres Mr. Ponnuraj said that about 25 per cent of the two-lakh people had come forward to have their photographs taken.