The Law Commission has said that more than Rs. 4,500 crore will be needed to buy new electronic voting machines (EVMs) and paper trail machines (VVPATs) for “imminent” simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

In its draft report on simultaneous polls issued last week, the law panel quoted the Election Commission as saying that around 10,60,000 polling stations will be set up for the 2019 General Elections.

“It (EC) further informed that as of now there is a shortfall of about 12.9 lakh ballot units, 9.4 lakh control units and about 12.3 lakh VVPATs, if simultaneous elections are to be held,” the report read.

According to it, an EVM, which includes a control unit, a ballot unit and a VVPAT, costs about Rs. 33,200.

“Thus, the EC has informed that an expenditure of about Rs. 4,555 crore will be incurred on procurement of EVMs for an imminent simultaneous election,” the draft report read.

Keeping in mind the average shelf life of 15 years of an EVM, the Law Commission said that at the prevailing rates, Rs. 1,751.17 crore will be required for procuring EVMs for conduct of the second simultaneous elections in 2024 and Rs. 2, 017.93 crore for the third simultaneous elections in 2029.

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