Question : VVPAT

(a) the total number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has in its stock at present;
(b) whether more VVPAT machines are required by the Election Commission to hold hundred per cent paper trail-based assembly polls in the country; and
(c) if so, the time by which the required number of VVPAT machines will be supplied to ECI from the suppliers, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) along with the total cost likely to be incurred on the same?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *269 DATED 14TH MARCH, 2018

(a): The Election Commission has stated that 1.79 lakh VVPATs are available in their stock at present.
(b) and (c): The Commission has further stated that enough VVPAT units are available to hold hundred percent paper trail based assembly polls in the country. Further, for conduct of Lok Sabha elections due in 2019, order for purchase of 16,15,000 VVPAT units was placed on M/s Bharat Electronics Limited and M/s Electronics Corporation of India Limited in April, 2017at a total cost of Rs. 2616.30 crore (excluding taxes and transportation). The Commission has confirmed that the entire quantity will be made available by the manufacturers by September, 2018.