Maharashtra SEC Plans Rs200 Cr EVM Procurement for Massive Local Body Elections
Maharashtra's State Election Commission (SEC) is gearing up for a massive electoral exercise. It plans to procure 1 lakh new electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the upcoming civic and local body elections, with an estimated cost of Rs200 crore.
The SEC will conduct elections for 32 zilla parishads, 336 panchayat samitis, 29 municipal corporations, 248 municipal councils, and 42 nagar panchayats by the end of January next year. To facilitate these elections, the SEC has requested the Urban Development Department (UDD) and Rural Development Department (RDD) to each allocate Rs100 crore.
The UDD, which oversees municipal corporations, has asked the directorate of municipal administration (DMA) to release Rs50 crore as subsidiary grants for municipal bodies to undertake local development works. Meanwhile, the RDD, which controls local bodies such as zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and village panchayats, has allocated Rs10 crore to district collectors of 32 districts for administrative expenses of conducting the elections. Both departments will share the amount equally for procuring the EVMs.
The SEC's ambitious plan to replace old EVMs with new ones is expected to enhance the voting process's efficiency and transparency. With the UDD and RDD's support, the SEC is well on its way to conducting fair and smooth elections across Maharashtra's local bodies.
