Centre to bring bill to allow NRIs to vote from offshore locations

Centre on Friday said that it will bring a bill to allow NRIs to vote from offshore locations.

New Delhi: In a significant development, the Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it will soon bring a bill to amend the existing Representation of People Act for allowing Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to exercise their franchise from their offshore locations.

The bill will be brought during the Winter Session of Parliament, the Centre said. 

Seeking that the matter be adjourned for six months, the Centre made the submission before the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud.

The Centre said that a bill permitting the NRIs to vote from their overseas location was being done through legislation that will be brought during the Winter Session of Parliament.

The apex court bench, however, adjourned the hearing for 12 weeks. 

In the earlier hearing of the matter on July 21, the top court had asked the central government to tell it the time it would require for bringing a bill to amend the Representation of People Act.

A team of ministers had on July 20, 2017, decided that to "facilitate external modes of voting to the overseas electors, amendment to the Representation of People Act, 1951 would be required by way of introduction of Bill in Parliament", the bench was told during the July 21 hearing.

With IANS inputs