Thiruvananthapuram: State election commissioner V Bhaskaran said that Pravasi Bharatiyas have been allowed to be named in the voters’ list of the general elections of the state panchayats and municipalities this year.

The Commission has issued a notification on January 18 to register the voter in the Grama Panchayat Municipal Corporation Ward, which contains the address listed on the passport of NRIs in the State.

The information on the Commission’s website www.lsgelection.kerala.gov.in can be printed online and sent to the Electoral Registration Officer directly or by post.

Copies of the passport information, visa and photo stamped relevant pages should be self-attested. The application should be made to the Electoral Registration Officer of the state where the residence is registered in the passport. The Electoral Registration Officers are the Secretaries of Grama Panchayats and Municipalities and respective Secretaries of Corporations and Additional Secretaries to Corporations.

Applications for Electoral Registration Officers will be duly investigated and action will be taken to include the names in the list. Those who are named in the list of NRIs can vote at the polling station by submitting their original passports.

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has decided to increase the price of lottery tickets from Rs 30 to Rs 40. Ticket prices are on the rise after the lottery’s GST was increased from 12 percent to 28 percent. The ticket price hike will come into effect on March 1.

The increase in the price of tickets is due to the reduction in the commission of GST. With the increase in prices, agents can increase the commission by up to one rupee per ticket. The GST increase notification will only be issued when ticket price increases are issued.

With this, the government’s commission on ticket sales will fall from 13 percent to 6.8 percent. The GST received by the state government will increase from 6% to 14%.