Goemkarponn desk
PORVORIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today said that the election commission of India has begun a process, on a pilot basis, to identify and delete those voters having dual voting cards.
The Chief Minister’s response came after Revolutionary Goans MLA Viresh Borkar brought to the notice of the House, that there are various beneficiaries of dual voting cards and that the government has failed to act against them.
Sawant told the State Legislative Assembly that the government is against issuing dual voting cards; however, the subject is not within their ambit.
Sawant said that the dual voting card issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India and the government has no role to play in it. “But this government is against dual voting cards,” he said.
Borkar said that several residents hold voting cards in Goa, as well as in their native place.
“There are dual voting cards in Mapusa constituency. They have voting cards in Mapusa and Maharashtra states. What is ARO doing to cancel dual cards, why are we paying them salaries, when we time and again have to raise this issue,” said Borkar.
Borkar also pointed out that many people in Goa are holding dual voting cards related to Goa and Maharashtra, and further stated that a number of dual voting cards have been found in Goa.
Sawant said the voter should cancel his own dual card and that a project has been taken by the Election Commission of India to cancel a dual voting card and the same pilot project has been taken in Goa.
“The BLO is following the process while deleting the card,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sawant also informed that the project is in process in the state and after completion of the project the issue of dual cards will be resolved said.
