Govt okays Rs 3,000 cr to buy VVPATs to be used with EVMs in 2019 polls

April 20, 2017

Delhi: The Election Commission said on Wednesday that it will closely monitor production of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) for timely delivery well before 2019 General Elections.

EVM5
"Commission will ensure total compliance of orders of SC and its commitment to use VVPATs with every EVM at all poll stations in 2019 polls," the EC was quoted as saying.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the EC's proposal to buy paper trail machines for electronic voting machines (EVMs), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

Talking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Jaitley said a total of 16,15,000 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units would be needed for the EVMs as per the Election Commission estimates.

"The Election Commission had been consistently demanding VVPAT machines to hold elections. The Cabinet approved the demand today." This would cost Rs 3,173.47 crore, he said.

"If we place the order in April, the whole supply would come by September 2018... Hence, VVPAT machines would be available in all polling booths in the subsequent elections," Jaitley said.

He added that the expenses on the procurement of these machines would be spread over two financial years.

Jaitley said the government would immediately provide Rs 1,600 crore to the poll panel and the rest in the next financial year.

"There has been a controversy over EVMs after the latest assembly poll results. The Prime Minister said it was an unnecessary controversy... It has no importance. EVMs have been tried and tested over the years."

Jaitley said the move would bring more transparency in the voting process. "Voters have a right to know if their votes are correctly registered or not."

The VVPAT units will be manufactured by the Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corp of India Ltd, the two public sector companies which also manufacture EVMs.

Several parties, including the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party have alleged that EVMs can be tampered with.

The Election Commission has refuted the charges.

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News Network
October 29,2024

Mangaluru: A fraud case involving ₹43.32 lakh has been reported at the CEN station, where an individual was deceived under the guise of investment opportunities. 

The victim was promised high returns from stock and Initial Public Offering (IPO) transactions.

According to the complaint, the victim received a WhatsApp message on September 25 from an unknown sender identifying himself as Manju Pachisi, an Assistant at IIFL Securities Limited. 

The sender encouraged the victim to invest by sharing an online link, claiming significant profits could be earned from stock and IPO transactions.

Additionally, another link was sent via the Telegram app. Trusting the information, the victim transferred a total of ₹43.32 lakh in phases between September 26 and October 23. 

However, when he attempted to withdraw his funds, he was informed that he needed to pay a 25 percent commission. Realizing he had been duped, the victim promptly filed a complaint with the authorities.

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News Network
October 26,2024

Mangaluru, Oct 26: In a distressing case of online harassment, Surathkal police in Mangaluru have apprehended a man, identified as Shariq, on charges of cyber harassment that allegedly led a woman to attempt suicide. 

The case took a dark turn when the woman reported that her Facebook account was hacked, leading to an influx of explicit, threatening messages directed at her brother, Kishan, and friend, Harshith.

According to Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal, the complaint, registered on October 22, specifically accused Shariq of orchestrating the harassment. Summoned for questioning, Shariq’s mobile phones and social media accounts were initially reviewed, but no conclusive evidence surfaced.

The case escalated when the woman reportedly received more abusive messages on October 24, pushing her to a point of desperation. Following her suicide attempt, police intensified the probe, reaching out to social media platforms for further verification. 

The Surathkal police have filed charges under sections 78(1)(i), 351(1 & 2), and 3(5) of the BNS, with the investigation ongoing to uncover the full extent of the cyber harassment network.

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News Network
October 22,2024

floodbengaluru.jpg

Bengaluru, Oct 22: Heavy rainfall has once again turned Bengaluru’s streets into rivers, with large-scale waterlogging paralyzing India’s IT capital. As residents brace for more storms, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a day filled with thunderstorms, predicting minimum temperatures around 21°C.

"Bengaluru is expected to see a cloudy sky today, with light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms impacting both urban and rural regions," stated the IMD. The maximum temperature is likely to reach 29°C, while the minimum will hover at 21°C.

Waterlogged streets have significantly slowed down traffic, with major bottlenecks reported along Sarjapura Road near the Wipro and RBD Layout junctions, according to police reports.

The flooding has sparked fresh criticism from opposition parties, who have seized the opportunity to target the Congress-led state government’s handling of the city's infrastructure.

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