By IANS,
Kolkata : It is mandatory for people with Electors’ Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) to produce these at the polling station while exercising their franchise in the coming assembly elections, an official said Monday.
“In our state, the EPIC has been issued to 97.4 percent of electors and they should produce their cards before the polling officials while casting their votes,” West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Sunil Gupta said, adding a recent Election Commission order has made this mandatory.
“However, the voters who don’t have an EPIC can use the voter’s slip with photograph issued by the EC, but these need to attested by the election officials,” he told mediapersons.
“If the voters’ slip doesn’t have a photo then the voter can opt for 13 other identification documents prescribed by the election commission” Gupta said.
The alternative identification documents include PAN (permanent account number) card, driving license card, passport, rural employment guarantee job card, property documents and so on.
“In case of property card, only the head of the family’s photograph is affixed on the document and in that case the person with the photograph on the document will have to take the other members of the family and identify them before the presiding officer at the polling station,” he said.