Assam is the only state where the Election Commission has not issued any voter identity cards due to complicated issues like illegal migration, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar told the Lok Sabha today.
“The issue of illegal migration is a complicated issue.
That is the reason the Electors’ Photo Identity Cards scheme has not been implemented in Assam,” Kumar said replying to supplementaries.
BJP members seized the opportunity to target government on the issue of illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
Kumar said as of January, 70 crore of the total 75 crore people eligible to cast their vote have got voter identity cards.
The minister said the government was making efforts to make voter identity card number a unique permanent number which would not change even if the elector changes his address.
To a question, Kumar said, “The government has sent an indicative list of documents for Know Your Customer requirements to the Indian Banks Association for circulation to its member banks. The indicative list includes voter identity cards as a document which may be accepted as proof of identity by banks.”