New Delhi15 minutes ago
The EVMs and other equipment kept in the warehouse are inspected every month.
The Election Commission (EC) said that 800 extra warehouses would be required to conduct simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. EVMs and other equipment will be kept in these warehouses.
EC issued a statement saying that building a warehouse is a difficult task and it costs a lot. The cost of land and construction for the warehouse is borne by the state governments.
The Election Commission had discussed holding simultaneous elections in March 2023 with the Law Commission and the Department of Legal Affairs of the Union Law Ministry. Its report has been sent to the Joint Parliament Committee formed to discuss the two bills of One Nation, One Election.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had introduced the One Nation, One Election Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 17. It has been sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for discussion.
need for additional budget The Election Commission had told the legal affairs department that deployment of security personnel in all warehouses, inspection every one and three months, installation of fire alarms and CCTV cameras would require additional budget, which is very difficult.
New warehouses will be built in 326 districts According to the Election Commission, there are about 772 districts in the country. In July 2012, the Election Commission had initiated the construction of a warehouse in every district to store EVMs and VVPATs. If sufficient time is available and state governments give it priority, warehouses can be built.
At present there is a need to build new warehouses in 326 districts. By March 2023, 194 warehouses have been built, 106 are being built. Whereas land has been approved to build 13 warehouses. But the land has not been allotted yet.
Expenditure of Rs 10 thousand crore every 15 years On January 20, 2024, the Election Commission had written a letter to the government informing it about the expenditure on one country, one election. The Election Commission had said that if elections are held simultaneously, Rs 10,000 crore will be spent on EVMs alone every 15 years.
The Election Commission had told that the shelf life of EVM is only 15 years. If elections are held simultaneously, one set of machines can be used to conduct elections three times, but separate machines will be used for Lok Sabha and Assembly.
Question on claim of low expenditure in JPC meeting The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was held on January 8 on the 129th Constitution Amendment Bill presented in Parliament for One Nation-One Election. During this, there was a heated debate between the MPs of the party and the opposition.
After the presentation of the Law Ministry, many opposition MPs including Priyanka Gandhi raised questions on the claim of reducing expenses by holding simultaneous elections. The opposition asked whether any estimate of expenditure was made after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, when EVMs were used for the first time in all 543 seats and it was believed that this had reduced the expenditure. Read the full news…
What is one country, one election? In India, elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are held at different times. One country-one election means holding elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies simultaneously. That means voters will cast their votes on the same day, at the same time, to elect members of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
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Other news related to one country, one election…
There can be simultaneous elections in the country by 2029: Unity government will be formed if the government falls.
The law panel can add a new chapter to the Constitution regarding One Nation-One Election. Through this, the Commission will be able to recommend holding simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha, Assembly and local bodies in the country by 2029. Read the full news…
