Congress pushes for reverting to ballot paper, raises concern over electoral bonds
New Delhi, Aug 27 : Congress on Monday pushed for reverting to ballot paper in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in a proposal given to the Election Commission. It also said that to ensure political transparency, full identity disclosure of purchasers of electoral bonds is necessary.
In a proposal to the Election Commission, the party said: "Given the prevailing climate, the Congress party is of the firm opinion that in order to restore the independence and integrity of the electoral process, we must revert to the paper ballot."
The party also said the present anonymity associated with electoral bonds needs to be remedied since this will not only assure anonymity to donors, but will also kill whatever little transparency exists.
"More recently, EVMs have been found faulty and non-functional on multiple occasions· There are innumerable complaints that whichever button was pressed, the voted was polled and counted in favour of the BJP's symbol," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi quoting the proposals.
"This has been noticed in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and many others. This has put a serious question mark on the credibility, independence and fairness of the EVMs in recording the votes correctly," said the party.
"VVPATs are meaningless if the paper trail is never to be counted. The ECI has spent a considerable amount of money by its own admission, on the introduction of VVPAT technology," it said.
"Currently only a very small number are cross checked. This turns the verification process into a mere academic exercise that defeats the very purpose of introducing VVPATs.
"If indeed the objective is to ensure greater confidence in EVMs, as stated in the note, then a more comprehensive audit of VVPAT should be welcome," it added.
The party said there should be timely submission of annual audit reports, election expenditure reports and contribution reports by national and state recognized political parties.
"The electoral bonds, which were introduced by the present government, allow any citizen or a body incorporated to anonymously purchase the same in various denominations of up to Rs. 1 crore. However, this is simply a legal channel for companies to round-trip their tax haven cash to a political party," said Singhvi quoting the proposals.
The party also raised the issue of bogus voters and said electoral process will be severely compromised if proper physical verification is not conducted. Other issues included fake/divisive propaganda being circulated on social media platforms.
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Karnataka govt to establish Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): The Karnataka government decided to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said on Thursday.
The decision was made following a discussion between Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rahul Gandhi inquired about the timeline for formulating the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, which he had promised during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the elections.
"The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others," the statement said.
It further stated that a five per cent cess would be collected from the concerned companies, while the state government would provide the remaining funds required to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
"A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval," the statement added.
Three gig worker representatives—Rakshitha Dev, Sheikh Salahuddin, and Nikhil Dev—were also invited to the meeting.
They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for improved working conditions.
State ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil were present at the meeting.
Santosh Lad was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour department.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasised the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
"The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills—covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move," the statement quoted Lad as saying.
