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Subversion of democratic process
Written By murali772 - 4 May, 2008
Bangalore egovernance Elections Voter ID Analysis SEC Election Commission
The SEC/ NIC/ BBMP combo, entrusted with the job of preparation and maintenance of the electoral rolls and issual of the EPID cards, has once again proved itself unequal to the task. The resulting inaccuracy levels of the order of over 50% across the state, is causing serious subversion of the democratic process.
A few days back, the ARO of our ward gave us a schedule of EPID issual programme, spread over some 8 days at 4 different sites, at 2 days per site. As an office bearer of the association in the complex where I stay, I broadcast this information to the residents, after successfully checking out the process personally on the first day. The experience of the people who heeded my advice, including my own family members, was disappointing, to say the least. There was total chaos and disorder at the designated centres, and they were all turned away on some pretext or the other.
Most of them are now planning to make do with any of the 15 other documents which have been notified as serving the purpose. However, given the whimsical ways of the SEC/ NIC/ BBMP combo, they will have to wait till the polling day to see what new problems they get to be faced with.
The above apart, when I say 'successfully checking out', I must also mention that the totally unprofessional way the entire job is being handled by the contractor and his people, leaves a lot to be desired. One can't imagine how as important a task as this can be gone about in such cavalier fashion, whereby any body who chooses to can very easily register any number of Bangladeshi's as voters.
All in all, the SEC/ NIC/ BBMP combo, entrusted with the job of preparation and maintenance of the electoral rolls and issual of the EPID cards, has once again proved itself unequal to the task. The resulting inaccuracy levels of the order of over 50% across the state (as admitted by their own selves), is causing serious subversion of the democratic process even at the very first stage itself, apart from posing a serious threat to national security. Correction of this anomalous situation has to be the first priority of the country if it wants to call itself a democracy.
Read more at
http://praja.in/blog/murali772/2007/12/12/secs-muddle,
http://praja.in/blog/murali772/2008/01/23/bangaloreing-voters-list-review
Muralidhar Rao
COMMENTS
murali772 - 5 May, 2008 - 04:21
Dear Mr George Mathew
What I have suggested is to entrust the job (annual/ 3-year contracts) to 'reputed' companies, not to some riff-raff on lowest tender basis without even bothering to check their capabilities. For your info, the Karnataka government has entrusted the e-procurement of major items of stores for all its departments to HP.
As for the costs, none can be higher than what we are already paying on account of the existing shoddy system.
Muralidhar Rao
tsubba - 5 May, 2008 - 12:41
no accountability, least on the citizens' part
murali772 - 5 May, 2008 - 13:37
My wife and her friend went over to the designated place today at 3.30 PM to make another attempt at collecting the EPID card, and a notice reading "Issuance of ID card is cancelled until further notice" greeted them.
They were in a way relieved that the notice was a lot more clear cut, compared to their earlier experience when they were made to go around in circles.
A simple job, well within our capability, but plainly subverted by citizens not demanding proper accountability - that's how I would like to put it.
Muralidhar Rao
murali772 - 19 October, 2008 - 11:18
Now, when something as critical as issual of passport, particularly in today's terrorism-threatened world, can be outsourced (http://bangalore.praja.in/blog/murali772/2008/10/14/passport-three-days), why not the preparation and maintenance of voters' list, as also issual of voter ID cards?
Today's inaccuracy levels of the order of over 50% across the country (as admitted by the EC itself), is causing serious subversion of the democratic process even at the very first stage itself, apart from posing a serious threat to national security.
Correction of this anomalous situation has to be the first priority of the country if it wants to call itself a democracy.
Muralidhar Rao
George E Matthew - 5 May, 2008 - 03:35
Mr Rao,
You blog post, if I understand it correctly, suggests using PRIVATE contractors instead SEC/BBMP employees for this purpose. That is exactly what is being done-the job has been outsourced to a private company and we can jsut see how rude, lazy and incompetent the private company is. They are not accountable to anyone.
Incidently, I had no problem getting my card in 2002 during a special drive to issue ID card. I had to wait only 10 min at most. The important thing to note is that this was not at election time which is at the 11th hour but in advance. Incidently, my proof of residence was correctly checked and I got what I wanted with no trouble. There was no private agency invovled.
The solution is as follows:
1>Make the electoral registration process a continous one that people do whenver they shift homes, not a 11th hour job just before elections.
2>Do not outsource it to a private company-it does not save money, it does nto make the process more people friendly/ I only make s private contractors rich
3> Utilize state govt staff to to the job. If you say there are excess staff anyways empolyed, they can do this work which is anyway only semiskilled and the state govt has labour in abundance with this skill.
4>Public who neglect to get ID cards in time cannot vote. No last minute rush. If you cannot be bothered getting a card when you shift house, too bad for you. You do not deerve to vote. This assumes, of course, that the electral registration office is opne all the time.
This conclusively proves that private companies need not be better than govt organizations. Let us evaluate each dept on performance, not on some random belife that private good, govt bad. the solution is planning, not outsourcing.
I congratulate you on hleping others in your apartment block to registers. This is exactly what good citizens need to do.
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