It's an EPIC struggle indeed

It's an EPIC struggle indeed
DH News Service, Bangalore:
If a voter wants to get an electronic photo identity card (EPIC) in Bangalore City, then he or she needs to be blessed with loads of luck...


This was the impression gained when Deccan Herald did a reality check at three EPIC centres on Monday.

Thousands have been queuing up for EPICs at the many counters in the City every day, while only a few hundreds get them by the end of the day.

Officials of Macro Infotech, which has been awarded the contract to issue EPICs, remained unavailable for any comments on the campaign.

Austin Town

About a thousand people had queued up at 8 am on Monday, though the centre was to open at 9 am.

People stood in two depressingly long queues: one for obtaining counterfoils confirming the existence of voters’ names in the voters’ list, and the other for EPICs.

As against the over 3,000 voters who flocked the centre, hardly 500 cards were issued. Hundreds were seen returning after looking at the serpentine queues.

Tax inspector Srikanth manning a counter, said: “The agency has provided only a single laptop with web camera for taking photographs. At least five cameras are required.”

Bharatinagar

Only 300 of the 1,500-odd who queued up for EPICs, were successful in obtaining the cards. But people who came in the afternoon were issued counterfoils for use the next day.

Returning empty-handed, BBM student Mohammed Dawood said: “I had a holiday today and came for the ID. But, the waiting was in vain. They want me to come tomorrow which is difficult.”

Those who came to the EPIC centre at Income Tax Regional Training School on Crescent Road were greeted by a small poster which read: “For Voters’ Photo Session, visit Corporation Office (Devanga School), near Ulsoorgate Police Station, Sampangiramanagar, from 14-04-2008 to 17-04-2008.”

Location shift

Students Priyanka and Ankita were seen rushing out in search of the new venue. A person working at the premises, said that the EPIC drive was conducted at the school on Saturday and Sunday, before being shifted.

Mythili, a resident of Munishwara Layout in Yelahanka constituency, waited for hours on Sunday and till afternoon on Monday, only to be told that her name did not figure in the voters’ list in the computer. “Although my name is in the hardcopy of the voters’ list, it is not there in the computer,” she fumed.

After a five-hour futile wait, Khizar Ahmed of Austin Town, said: “My name has not been included in the voters’ list although I had applied for it in August 2007.”

Chief Electoral Officer M N Vidyashankar said the EPIC drive was affected on Sunday due to power disruption in many areas. “Otherwise, there has been no problem,” he claimed.

On long queues, he said he has directed officials to instal additional systems at all centres.