EPIC cards with six security features to be given to Munugodu voters

Hyderabad: State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj has said that the EPIC cards with a new revised design with six security features including a hologram will be given to voters to cast their ballots in the Munugodu by-election. The Election Commission of India recently came up with a new revised design of the voter ID cards to ensure the security of data.

The CEO said that the new EPIC cards with all security features will be delivered free to all voters who have enrolled themselves and are not given the cards earlier.

Explaining the by-poll arrangements, he said 739 electors (senior citizens of over 80 years of age and differently-abled) have submitted Form 12-D for the issue of postal ballots. To facilitate them cast through postal ballots, seven teams were constituted ( 1 team per Mandal ).

To increase vigilance and transparency, a live video viewing control room has been set up in the collector office, Nalgonda, that has the facility to view live feeds from all check posts set up in the Munugodu constituency. Political parties/agents/ contesting candidates are invited to nominate their persons to the control room, to make use of the facility as it would enhance vigilance along the check-posts and neutrality vis-à-vis various candidates.

Vikas Raj said 19 FIRs have been registered in election-related cases in the Munugodu segment. Strict vigilance has resulted in a cash seizure of Rs. 2.7 crore as part of the implementation of the model code of conduct. The State Excise and Prohibition department has booked 94 cases and made 44 arrests so far.

The electors have been requested to produce one of the following alternate photo identity documents for establishing their identity. The list of 11 documents is:

passport, driving license, service identity cards with photographs issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies, Passbooks with photographs issued by bank/post office, PAN card, .smart card issued by RGI under NPR, MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of the Ministry of Labour, pension document with photograph, official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, and Aadhaar Card.