The Finance Ministry gave in-principle approval for buying nearly 14 lakh new electronic voting machines(EVMs). The Election Commission has moved a step forward towards procuring new devices which are required ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In its January 18 meeting, the Expenditure Finance Committee headed by Secretary Expenditure in the Finance Ministry, gave in-principle approval for the purchase of 13,95,648 new balloting units and 9,30,432 control units at an estimated cost of Rs 5,511.48 crore between financial years 2015-16 and 2018-19.

The Election Commission wants to purchase new machines against the backdrop of over nine lakh such machines in use nearing end of their 15-year life. A senior government functionary explained that the two government undertakings such as Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bengaluru and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, Hyderabad will not be in a position to produce new EVMs in one go and would provide it to the Commission in batches.

The machines EC gets in batches can be used in coming assembly polls and by the time the next Lok Sabha polls are due the delivery will be completed. The EC had once again flagged the issue of new EVMs at a meeting between Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and top Law Ministry officials on January 5. The Law Ministry has already given its “in principle” approval to buy the new EVMs. The Legislative Department of the Law Ministry is the nodal unit for EC. Now the Law Ministry would move a proposal before the Union Cabinet for the purchase of new EVMs following which the tender process will commence.