Allow short-duration discussions on EPIC TMC to RS chairman

    New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Amid the opposition's continuing demand for deliberations on the duplicate EPIC number issue, the Trinamool Congress urged Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday to allow short-duration discussions over the matter.
    As the chairman called it a good suggestion and said he would consider it, an opposition leader hoped that the Upper House would take up the debate next week.
    At least six TMC MPs had given notices in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss the duplicate Elector's Photo Identification Card (EPIC) number issue. The notices were however not accepted by the chair.
    TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said there is a precedent of a Rule 267 notice being converted into a notice under Rule 176.
    "I am requesting you to convert my 267 notice into a 176 notice by exercising your discretionary power for a short-duration discussion," Roy said.
    Dhankhar said it was a "good suggestion".
    Rule 267, part of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, allows members to move for the suspension of rules to discuss urgent matters, while Rule 176 is for short-duration discussions.
    "I appreciate the genius of the member. In the garb of raising a point of order, he is making a good suggestion. I will take it into consideration, take a call and indicate so," the chairman said.
    A TMC leader said they hope there will be a discussion on the issue next week as the Upper House held deliberations on the working of the home ministry on Wednesday, which will continue on Thursday, and Friday is reserved for private members' business.
    The issue of voter-ID cards in different states having duplicate numbers was raised by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on February 27.
    The Election Commission (EC) has said identical EPIC numbers or series were allotted to some voters from different states and Union territories due to a "decentralised and manual mechanism" being followed prior to the shifting of the electoral roll database of all states to the ERONET (Electoral Roll Management) platform.
    The poll panel has said it will resolve the issue within three months. On Tuesday, it said the linkage of voter cards with Aadhaar would be done according to the prevailing law and the Supreme Court's directions, and that technical consultations between its experts and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for the exercise would "begin soon".

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)