CEC reviews poll preparedness with all officials, interacts with disabled voters

Hyderabad, Oct.23 (Maxim News): Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawath today reviewed election preparedness with the State Election officials, police and nodal officers here. The CEC arrived here to review the situation and other arrangements for the elections to be held on December 7 for 119 Assembly constituencies in the State.

The CEC inaugurated a Mobile van equipped with EVMs and VVPATs and inspected them and enquired about the functioning of the machines. He also released the VAADA promise App and voter ID cards have been distributed to physically challenged persons. The CEC said the need to be more sensitive towards persons with disabilities to ensure their holistic participation in the election process. C-Vigil app is also being provided by ECI to check electoral malpractices during elections and the app which stands for citizens’ vigil will be in operation for the first time as a pilot project, he said.

The Chief Election Commissioner, along with the officials interacted with physically challenged persons, their representatives and enquired about the facilities which are being provided to them at the polling stations. Later, the Chief Secretary along with senior officials had an interaction with the physically challenged persons.

DEO & GHMC Commissioner Dana Kishore explained about the VAADA app to the ECI officials and briefed them about the facilities like their transportation from their residences to polling stations and providing ramps, escorts and all other basic facilities for their convenience to cast their vote without any problem.

The DEO & GHMC Commissioner said SVEEP (Systematic Voters Education & Electoral Participation) provided by the ECI to be intensified to create voter awareness among the people on the importance of voting with the help of SVEEP activities. The officials can encourage the citizens to participate and to cast their votes in the ensuing elections. As seen from the yester years, the percentage of voting was around 52.46%. The aim of the SVEEP activities was to involve all the citizens to cast their votes duly creating awareness about the importance of voting to increase the percentage.

The DEO said the GHMC officials in coordination with all the NGOs/SHGs/Aasara Committees/Physically challenged organizations/ RWAs/ Schools/Colleges have taken up various awareness campaigns for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls, who have attained 18 years age as on January 1, 2018 so that the percentage of voters can be increased as well the citizens can cast their vote for the ensuing elections. The DEO said for the effective implementation of the Revision of Electoral Rolls and also to create awareness among the citizens till September 25 as per the guidelines of the ECI involving 15 NGO groups and 720 clubs in the GHMC have taken up various publicity and awareness campaigns about the SVEEP activities.

The DEO also said to create awareness about the working of EVMs and VVPats so that the voters will have a clear idea to cast their vote without any inconvenience for which 3 Modernized Mobile Vans have been deployed for the purpose and lot of citizens have participated where the officials have interacted with them and explained about the EVMs and VVPATs even EVM and one VVPats have been provided for 2 Wards and one Model Polling Station is being organized at GHMC Head Office with all available machinery to have a clear transparency to the officials and staff to perform their duties in a more appropriate way to increase the polling percentage. Apart from this one EVM and One VVPats have been provided for two wards where demonstrations are being given at the community halls, parks and ward offices to create awareness for this purpose.(Maxim News)