Photo Identity Cards have not yet been issued to all electors in the country. About thirty-eight crore electors representing 62% of the eligible electors of the country have so far been provided Photo Identity Cards. The scheme has so far not been extended to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The work has also not started in Assam and Mizoram till now ... The scheme ... is not a project but an ongoing programme and no time limit can be fixed for completion of such a programme ...

(Though) the production of Electoral Photo Identity Cards was insisted upon in the recently held general elections to the Legislative Assembly of Haryana in February, 2000, the Commission had also prescribed other means of identification for the electors not provided with Photo Identity Cards ... The Government has no proposal to make production of Photo Identity Cards mandatory at the time of voting. It may also be stated that the orders of the Election Commission issued in 1994 are sub-judice before the Supreme Court of India, The Government ... is providing necessary funds for this programme which is shared between the Union and the States on 50:50 basis. (Source: I.SUQ No. 3577/ 17.4.2000 by K. Somaiya and A.S. Chautala)