Question : EVMS

(a) the details of annual expenses incurred by the Election Commission on the maintenance of electronic voting machines;

(b) whether the electronic voting machines are not used in case the number of contestants is more than 64;

(c) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(d) whether the Government has a proposal to change/redesign the electronic voting machines to deal with such a situation; and

(e) if so, the steps being taken to ensure that electronic voting machines function properly and may not be tampered with?

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID)

(a): Maintenance of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is done during First Level Checking before every election. Testing/Checking charge of one EVM is Rs.180/-. Expenditure on this is made by State Government in case of Legislative Assembly election and by Central Government in case of Parliamentary election. In case of simultaneous election to Parliament and Legislative Assembly, the expenditure on this is shared by State and Central Government on 50:50 basis.

(b): Yes, Madam. The present EVM is so designed that it can be used only in a constituency, where the maximum number of candidates is sixty four.

(c): Ballot Boxes are used in such election where number of contesting candidates exceeds sixty four.

(d): The Election Commission has intimated that they are working on new design of EVMs, which will accommodate more than sixty four candidates.

(e): The Election Commission has intimated that EVMs have been examined and certified to be tamper proof by the Technical Expert Committee in the year 1990 and again in the year 2006. The Election Commission has also issued detailed instructions on administrative safeguards for EVM.