Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora has instructed Rajasthan election officials to run a special drive on voter awareness in the districts which recorded lower turn out in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Arora was chairing a meeting with senior officials of state election department at the secretariat on Friday.
“The department should run a voters awareness drive in the districts where the lower voter turn out was recorded in previous Lok Sabha elections. Also the drives should be aimed to increase participations of youth and women in the coming elections. Camps must be held in colleges to make youths aware about voting right and the amenities at the polling booths must be ensured for convenience of especially abled voters,” Arora directed the officials.
Rajasthan chief electoral officer Anand Kumar present in the meeting gave feedback to the CEC about the preparations of the LS elections due in April-May. “Preparations for FLC (first level checking) of EVMs and VVPAT machines are in full swing and the training for poll officers will start soon. Also the department is continuously monitoring the preparations by having regular video conferencing with divisional commissioners and district collectors. As soon a the date of polls is announced other preparations will be done simultaneously,” told Kumar to the CEC.
Arora is on two-day tour to Jaipur from Friday to take stock of the Lok Sabha election preparations. After holding meeting with state election department officials he on Saturday would chair a meeting on law and order with DGP Kapil Garg and chief secretary DB Gupta. Transfer policy of poll duty officers, electoral offences, deployment of personnels at critical polling booths and other law and order issues are agenda of the proposed meeting.
Sources add that the full commission of Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to hold a meeting with senior officials on LS preparations again on March 12-13 after model code of conduct is put in force for the LS elections. This meeting will be crucial in giving final touch to the poll preparations.
The state election department is all geared up to conduct parliamentary elections. The department in January held special camps for ratification of the electoral rolls, by adding eligible voters.
A special drive was also launched to remove double and multi entries of the voters. The department is expected to release final draft of rolls on February 22.
On Two-Day Tour
Arora is on two-day tour to Jaipur from Friday to take stock of the Lok Sabha election preparations. After holding meeting with state election department officials he on Saturday would chair a meeting on law and order with DGP Kapil Garg and chief secretary DB Gupta.
