Dubai: Indian expatriates will no longer have to pay for document attestation to register as voters as New Delhi has scrapped the requirement for applications sent by post.
The Indian government's decision was announced by the Indian consulate yesterday.
Expatriates had to spend about Dh60 on regular attestation and service charges to be able to register as voters.
Since registration for the electoral roll opened on February 28, only around 500 Dubai residents had got their attestations done for the purpose of voting, an official told Gulf News.
Short time frame
The short timeframe is one of the reasons that led to the scrapping of the attestation requirement, added the official.
"As per a revised Election Notification for State Elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, [Pondicherry], Assam and West Bengal, Form 6A and other documents related to the registration process can be done on a self attestation basis by the overseas electors. Such documents need not be attested by a mission/post," a statement issued by the consulate read.
Those hailing from these states will be the first expatriates to exercise their voting rights, if they register now.
According to recent amendments to the Representation of the People's Act 2010, for the first time ever, non-resident Indians were allowed to enroll on the electoral roll and vote.
However, many expatriates said they felt the amendments are inadequate since the law still requires them to be present in person at their home constituencies at the time of voting.
The registration form (Form 6A) can be downloaded from the Election Commission of India website.
The application may either be submitted in person directly to the registration officer of the constituency concerned or sent to the registration officer by post.
The decision of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency on the application will be communicated to the applicant by post and also through text messaging.
Indians, who are 18 years of age as of January 1, 2011, unless otherwise disqualified, are eligible to be registered as a voter in the roll of the polling area of the constituency where he is ordinarily a resident of.
According to the provisions of the Representation of the People, Amendment Act, 2010, an Indian citizen who has not acquired the citizenship of any other country and is otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter and who is absenting from his place of ordinary residence in India owing to his employment, education or otherwise is eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which his place of residence in India as mentioned in his passport is located.
Documents required
One recent passport size coloured photograph, photocopy of relevant pages of the passport of the applicant containing his/her photograph and all other particulars and photocopy of the pages of passport containing the valid visa.
If the application is submitted in person before the ERO, the original passport should be produced for verification.
