Election Commission has directed that all electors of Himachal Pradesh who have been issued with their Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) shall have to produce these cards to exercise their franchise when they come to the polling stations for voting on 4th November, 2012. The Election Commission has further clarified that Identity Cards issued by Electoral Registration Officer of another Assembly Constituency shall be taken into account while establishing the identity of electors. Election Commission has also informed that if any elector fails to produce his/her EPIC such electors shall have to produce any of the alternative photo documents for establishing their identity:-

• Passport,

• Driving License,

• Income Tax Identity (PAN) Cards,

• Service Identity Cards with Photograph issued to its employees by State/Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Local Bodies or Public Limited Companies,

• Passbooks with Photograph issued by Public Sector Banks/Post Office and Kisan Passbooks (Accounts opened on or before 30-9-2012),

• Freedom Fighter Identity Card with Photograph,

• SC/ST/OBC Certificates with photograph issued by competent authority on or before 30-9-2012,

• Certificate of Physical Handicap having photograph issued by Competent Authority on or before 30-9-2012,

• Arms Licenses having photograph issued on or before 30-9-2012,

• Jobs cards issued under NREGA scheme with photograph issued upto 30.09.2012

• Property Documents such as Pattas, Registered Deeds, etc. with photograph,

• Pension Documents such as ex-servicemen’s Pension Book/Pension Payment Order, ex-servicemen’s Widow/Dependent Certificates, Old Age Pension Order, Widow Pension Order with photograph issued on or before 30.09.2012,

• Health Insurance Scheme Smart Cards with photograph (Ministry of Labour’s Scheme issued upto 30.09.2012,

• Smart Cards issued by RGI under the scheme of National Population Register (NPR).

This was disclosed by Narinder Chauhan, Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh here today. He said that the Election Commission has clarified that any document, as enumerated above, which is available only for the Head of Family, shall be allowed for purpose of identification of other members of the family provided all the members come together and are identified by the Head of Family.