Mysuru:  City-based Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited (MPVL), earlier called MyLAC, has completed its assignment of supplying 1,32,000 vials of indelible ink for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka. The consignments have been delivered to the Election Commission in Bengaluru 20 days back.

Disclosing the details to Star of Mysore this morning, MPVL Chairman H.A. Venkatesh said that Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, who has the responsibility of holding a free and fair voting in Karnataka on May 12, had placed an order for 1,32,000 vials of indelible ink that will be applied on the forefinger of the left hand to prevent people from voting multiple times.

“We took one-and-a-half months to deliver the consignments and we hired people on contract basis to complete the task. Each vial contains 10 ml of indelible ink and along with this, 20,000 packets of sealing wax have also been supplied,” he said. In 2013, the MPVL had supplied 1,10,000 vials of indelible ink to the Election Commission.

Each 10 ml bottle of indelible ink can be used on 800 people and with this order, the MPVL has earned an income of Rs. 1,66,32,000 as each bottle costs Rs. 126. “We have reduced the price of the ink from Rs. 142 to Rs. 126 as the cost of the raw materials to make the paint has come down,” he added.

Public Sector Unit MPVL was set up soon after independence and it is the only company in India authorised to produce indelible ink. There are 56,696 polling stations in Karnataka and 4,96,82,351 (approximately 4.97 crore) voters and the Election Commission will decide on the number of vials to be supplied to each polling booth.