29-Apr-2022: Integrated Election Complex with state-of-art infrastructure inaugurated by CEC Shri Sushil Chandra
Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey today inaugurated the Integrated Election Complex at Bakhtawarpur, Delhi for warehousing and management of EVMs & VVPATs of NCT of Delhi. The Integrated Election Complex has been built by the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi and Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Limited (DTTDC) is the executing agency for the project.
At the inaugural function, CEC Shri Chandra while complimenting CEO Delhi and his team for planning and executing the project methodically, said that this state-of-the-art Integrated Election Complex is a milestone for Election Commission of India. He said that the Complex, which is conceptualised with all features and administrative safety protocols for storage, security and movement of EVMs, has elevated the benchmarks for all other State CEOs to emulate.
The first of its kind, integrated complex is a multi-functional state-of-the-art facility aimed at modernising the warehousing and management of EVMs and VVPATs. The IEC has sufficient storage capacity for EVMs & VVPATs to serve as the State Level Warehouse covering all 11 districts of NCT of Delhi. The Complex has comprehensive facilities for conducting First Level Checking of EVMs & VVPATs as per ECI's guidelines. The First Level Checking halls can also be used for large meetings and training sessions.
Shri Chandra during his address stressed that EVMs are the pride of Indian elections. He said EVMs have been used in all elections since 2004 and so far over 350 crore+ voters have reposed their faith and cast their vote through EVMs in 4 General Elections and 37 Assembly Elections. Elaborating further, CEC Sh Chandra said that EVMs are an engineering marvel. EVMs are non-tamperable and have provided accurate and timely results establishing their credibility since these were first put to use 4 decades back on pilot basis. He added that VVPAT audit trail introduced since 2019 General Elections, has further established the credibility of EVMs with no mismatch being found in the votes cast in EVM and counting of VVPAT slips. He urged the District Election Officers from Delhi to familiarise themselves with all the features and protocols of EVM to ensure effective communication and outreach amongst the public. While interacting with the DEOs, CEC Shri Chandra also emphasised that they should make further concerted efforts and targeted interventions to increase the voter turnout.
Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey in his address said that transparency, impartiality and perception are crucial in the election management and thus following Standard Operating Procedures and checklist for systematic storage, maintenance and movement of EVMs are vital to avoid any glitches and ensure uniformity. While congratulating the project team for setting up standards and benchmarks for establishing such an integrated complex, he added that this facility can also be used as a training centre for logistics and inventory management of EVMs/VVPATs for election officials.
Secretary General, ECI Shri Umesh Sinha while appreciating the coordinated efforts of different agencies and organisations in building this unique facility, said that this Integrated Election Complex will be a landmark for all Chief Electoral Officers while conceptualising the home for EVMs and VVPATs.
Chief Electoral Officer Delhi, Dr Ranbir Singh in his welcome address gave a detailed chronology of the project starting from conceptualisation to completion. A Coffee Table Book and a Documentary film related to voter awareness campaigns organised during 2021-22 by Chief Electoral Officer Delhi were also released by CEC Shri Sushil Chandra during the inaugural event.
Senior Deputy Election Commissioners Sh. Dharmendra Sharma and Sh. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioner Sh. T Sreekanth, Director General (Media) Ms. Sheyphali Sharan, MD DTTDC Ms. Swati Sharma and the District Election Officers / DM’s of NCT Delhi were also present on the occasion.
Salient Features of Integrated Election Complex
Envisaged by the Election Commission of India, and built under the aegis of Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, the Integrated Election Complex is a landmark project for the modernisation of EVM & VVPAT storage and management. Spread over an area of 12865 sq. m., it is a towering testimony to our collective belief in democracy. There are EVM vaults on each floor having 1080 specially designed racks. For security and surveillance, there are 80 CCTVs with 2 Control Rooms. The Integrated Election Complex has a machine storage capacity of over one lakh Ballot Unit/Control Unit and nearly 45000 VVPATs, which is sufficient to cater to the needs of all 11 districts of NCT of Delhi. There are 36 specially designed storage vaults which are duly equipped with steel racks for proper storage of EVMs and VVPATs. Enough vaults have been assigned to different election districts of NCT of Delhi as per their needs.
The IEC is equipped with 3 passenger lifts and 2 cargo lifts apart from a comprehensive ramp facility for complete accessibility and smooth movement of people and machines. The three-storied complex has fully furnished barracks for the security staff. Along with this the security is well ensured by a two-tiered high security wall.
The complex is a Green Building with minimum energy demand incorporating environmental features such as natural light and natural ventilation. The building has adopted an eco-friendly approach by installing Solar Panels with a capacity of 200 KWh that are connected to the power grid. Surplus solar power will be sold to the grid.
All the floors are equipped with Automatic Fire fighting and Alarm systems. The complex has a dedicated water harvesting system along with a modern Sewage Treatment Plant to process the wastewater. The complex has been rendered green through extensive horticulture and landscaping services. The aesthetic and educative value of the IEC complex has been enhanced by display of election related murals and artwork in the building complex.
31-Mar-2022: Prof. (Dr.) Ashutosh Kumar appointed as the first visiting professor to the T. N. Seshan Chair at IIIDEM
To commemorate and celebrate the achievements & contributions of Sh. T N Seshan, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India & his special connect with the young and aspiring India, Election Commission of India had announced the establishment and funding of a Chair on interdisciplinary approach to Electoral Studies in the Centre for Curriculum Development at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi. The Chair will be mentored by Sh. N. Gopalaswami, former CEC.
A search committee, under the Chairmanship of former CEC Shri N. Gopalaswami, was constituted by the Commission for selection. Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay; Prof. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice Chancellor, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru; Ms. Urvashi Gulati, Chief Secretary (Retd.) Haryana & Sh. Dharmendra Sharma, Director General, IIIDEM were the other members. On the recommendations of the committee, the Commission has appointed Prof. (Dr.) Ashutosh Kumar, Professor, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, as the first visiting professor to the T. N. Seshan Chair.
Prof. (Dr.) Ashutosh Kumar has rich experience of over fourteen years at the level of Professor in the Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh. He is also the Lala Lajpat Rai Chair Professor. His areas of specialization include Electoral Dynamics in Indian States. He has also conducted research on the subjects relating to problems of democratic transition and consolidation in developing countries. His research papers have been published in National and International Journals. He has also authored and edited books related to election studies in India.
Appointment of Prof. (Dr.) Ashutosh Kumar will give impetus to the research activities at IIIDEM in the fields of Electoral Studies and Election Management. His contribution will also enhance & enrich development of curriculum for national and international trainings at IIIDEM.
31-Mar-2022: Allocation of Budget For EVMs
The Government has allocated Rs.1000 Crores in the financial year 2021-22 in connection with procurement of EVMs & VVPATs.
The procedure followed for the purchase of EVMs and VVPATs is as under:
- Based on the estimated number of polling stations for oncoming elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) determines the number of additional machines, (EVMs/VVPATs) if needed over and above its existing inventory.
- The ECI then requests the Government for in-principle approval and necessary budget for the required number of machines along with tentative costs.
- On receipt of the proposal for in principal approval from the ECI, the Legislative Department places the matter before the Government as per the Delegation of the Financial Powers Rules, 1978, if required, to the Cabinet and on approval, convey the same to the ECI.
- Upon receipt of the in principle approval from the Government, the necessary work order for said procurement is placed by the ECI on the PSU-manufactures, viz. M/s. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and M/s Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) for supply of machines.
- Based on the allocation of funds the payments are made by the ECI to the PSUs, subject to the finalisation of the cost by the Price Negotiation Committee (PNC). PNC consists of AS/JS& FA (Law) one member each from the Legislative Department, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and the ECI.
- Subsequently, based on the manufacturing plan and production, the machines are allocated by the ECI to various states/districts for timely deployment and use.
As per the Government of India(Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961,the Election Commission of India falls under the ambit of the Legislative Department, hence, it is allocated to the Legislative Department.