While many residents are yet to get their electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) or voter ID cards, the BBMP officials responsible for issuing the cards seem to have failed in handling the task properly.
In some areas like Horamavu (ward No 25), the officials are directing applicants to collect the cards from realtors’ offices.
“I applied for voter ID card in November last. Till date, I have not received it at my doorsteps as promised. When I went to Horamavu BBMP office, I was in for a shock. An official asked me to collect the card at a real estate agent’s place. I don’t understand their motive,” said an applicant (name withheld on request).
In Vijaynagar, an applicant was asked to collect his card at a Corporator’s house.
At some places, the applicants were told that their cards were already collected by some people and that they could get duplicate cards by paying `25.
This is not all. Some people have even got two cards as the officials concerned have failed to delete their names from old lists.
Arun Kumar, a resident of Basaveshwarnagar, said his name was not deleted from the old list despite his request. He now had two cards with two different addresses in the same assembly constituency, he said.
Asked about the third party access to voter ID cards, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) of Horamavu ward Nagaraju S N denied mismanagement in card distribution.
However, he immediately asked the officials to look into the matter and ordered issue of a new card to the applicant.
Meanwhile, Nagaraju said there was pressure from political parties to hand over the cards to them.
AEROs of Vijayanagar and Mahadevapura also said the same thing. “Though there is pressure from political parties, we have not issued the cards to them. The Election Commission has asked us not to do so,” Nagaraju said.
“The BBMP officers have been given instructions regularly and if they have given access to a third party despite that, it would be a serious offense. We will certainly take strict against such officer,” Dr K V Thrilok Chandra, BBMP’s Additional Commissioner.