City Desk :
The Election Commission (EC) is working hard to extend the term of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) project, which is set to expire in 10 days.
Meanwhile, EC has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Planning to continue the project for one more year.
EVMs have been the topic of discussion during elections for the last few years. In the 12th national election, the EC decided to use EVMs in 150 constituencies but scrapped the idea due to a lack of the required number of machines.
In 2018, EC took up the EVM project at a cost of Tk 3,825.24 crore. It procured 150,000 EVMs, with each costing Tk 2.35 lakh. Their life span was said to be at least 10 years, but most of the devices were out of order after five years. There is no maintenance system either.
At present, only about 40,000 EVMs are functional.
Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 malfunctioning EVMs are stored at Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited, incurring warehouse expenses that were not initially factored into the project. As a result, the EC finds itself in a dire situation, with no allocated funds to salvage the EVMs or cover storage costs.
Now, the EC has written to the Ministry of Planning, seeking an extension as well as swift disbursement of about Tk 100 crore to foot the project cost.
“If the project is extended, we’ll have to make a comprehensive plan so that it can be handed over later,” said project director Colonel Syed Rakibul.
But if the government decides against an extension, then EVMs held by the EC will have to be destroyed after June. These machines are worth about Tk 3,500 crore. In 2018, EC took up the EVM project at a cost of Tk 3,825.24 crore. It procured 150,000 EVMs, with each costing Tk 2.35 lakh. Their life span was said to be at least 10 years, but most of the devices were out of order after five years. There is no maintenance system either.