The Union Law Ministry has been allocated Rs 1,005 crore in the central Budget to provide funds to the Election Commission for procurement of ballot units, control units and voter verifiable paper audit trial units (VVPATS), and ancillary expenditure on EVMs and destruction of obsolete voting machines. One control unit, at least on ballot union and one VVPAT or paper trail machines constitute one EVM.

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Obsolete EVMs are destroyed under the supervision of an expert unit following a set protocol. A voting machine has an average life of 15 years. The Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) are the two public sector undertakings which manufacture the EVM.

The ministry has also been allocated Rs 100 crore for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The provision is for meeting ”carry forward liability” in respect of charges for conduct of general Lok Sabha elections, the budget document said.

Another Rs 7.20 crore has been allocated for elector photo identity cards. The provision is for reimbursement of central government’s share to state and union territory governments on issuance of voter identity cards.

Under the ”other election expenses” head, the ministry has been allocated Rs 57.10 crore. The provision is for reimbursement of central government’s share on normal election expenditure to the state and Union Territory governments and the cost of preparation and printing of electoral rolls, the document said. Separately, the Election Commission has been allocated Rs 249.16 crore.

The provision is mainly for the establishment related expenditure of the poll panel and for the expenditure to be incurred on the purchase of land and pre-construction activities for additional building for the Election Commission. The additional building is to come up in Dwarka.

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First Published:Feb 1, 2021 5:20 PM IST