Candidates Will Have to Pay Rs 47,200 For EVM Microcontroller Chip Verification

New Delhi: Candidates who come second or third, are not satisfied with the result and seek verification of tampering or modification in microcontroller chips embedded in electronic voting machines (EVM) will have to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set, as per the Election Commission’s standard operating procedure.

The “administrative SOP”, based on a recent Supreme Court ruling, was issued by the poll body on June 1.

An electronic voting machine (EVM) set has a Ballot Unit, Control Unit and the VVPAT.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court had allowed aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in poll results to seek verification of microcontroller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon payment of a fee to the Election Commission. According to the Election Commission’s SOP, the cost submitted by manufacturers BEL and ECIL to carry out EVM “check and verification” is Rs 40,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) per set of EVM.

The EVM verification will be restricted to a maximum of 20 ballot units, 10 control units and 10 VVPATs.

The aggrieved candidates can apply for EVM check within seven days of declaration of results.