Relationship Column Discrepancy In Assam's EPICs Fixed

The said discrepancy existed in the slot for father's/husband's name in the voter cards of Assam.
Relationship Column Discrepancy In Assam's EPICs Fixed

GUWAHATI: A petitioner, who petitioned the Gauhati High Court for a discrepancy in the format for voter cards in Assam, claimed on Saturday that it has been rectified.

The said discrepancy existed in the slot for father's/husband's name. The issue has been rectified in the newly issued Electoral Photo Identity Cards. However, the issue in previously issued voter cards can be fixed by filling up a specific form.

The petitioner, Joyasree Goswami Mahanta, a former MP addressed a press conference in Guwahati and said, "We had filed a writ petition on the matter at the Gauhati High Court in 2016."

She further added that the EPICs in all other states have the slot for 'father's/husband's name' below the voter's name. In the case of Assam, that slot was marked as 'relation name'. Mahanta says, "We wanted the same rule, as in other states, to be followed here."

The High Court requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to file an affidavit regarding the matter. However, the High Court failed to do so, claimed the petitioner.

In the month of September, when the matter was called for hearing again, the ECI counsel placed before the court that they have addressed the issues raised in the writ petition.

The counsel also drew attention to Form 6, which accumulates all the details of the electors before issuing EPICs, with a slot marked specifically for 'father's/husband's name'.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, passed an order on Wednesday, which said that the grievance mentioned in the writ petition has been 'substantially redressed' by the Election Commission of India during the pendency of the petition and closed it.

Mahanta expressed happiness upon the issue being addressed. She however stated that the ECI could not provide any answer to why the discrepancy crept in, when they approached them before moving the court.

Mahanta, the former Asom Gana Parishad Rajya Sabha MP added that there may be possibility of some political conspiracy. However, they don't want to speculate on the cause.

When the press asked Mahanta if they will pursue the reason behind the discrepancy happening only in the case of Assam, shee said that they are yet to take any decision on it.

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