Shillong, Oct 25: Citizens were Thursday seen taking their time off and looking skyward to see at the para-motor-gliders flying with banners that read – “Hurry up! Enroll to vote” – an initiative taken up by the Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office to increase awareness and interest around registration in the electoral rolls by the people especially the youths.
Considering that only 10 days are left for submission of forms for enrollment during summary revision, the CEO office has come up with the innovative idea of towing election banners in the sky using para- motoring to maximize enrollment of eligible voters and electoral participation.
“This is part of the systematic voters enrollment and electoral participation (SVEEP) campaign designed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to basically give awareness to people,” East Khasi hills district Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal told reporters at the site of the launching of the campaign from the city golf course.
Informing that the Summary revision is going on and October 31 is the last date for the eligible people to get their names enrolled in the electoral roll of their respective constituencies,Goyal said,”Through this activity (para motor gliding) we are trying to fly over to important places in Shillong and different parts of the state.”
Goyal added, “The flight will continue till the last date to encourage people to come forward for enrollment.”
“I request all eligible voters especially young people of the age group of 18 to 19 years to kindly come forward and make use of this opportunity,” Goyal said adding “We have the booth level officers in all the polling stations who will be providing the necessary help to the people in filling up the forms.”
The district administration has also taken up other activities as part of the campaign such as painting on the walls in the different parts of the city with the sole purpose to creating mass awareness on the importance of registering themselves in the electoral roll.
When queried on the response from people, Goyal said, “That would be very difficult to say as of now…we will be in a position to tell when we analyze this after the hearings are conducted and am hopeful that the percentage of young people should go up.” He informed that the state election office is making all efforts to reach to people, especially the targeted group in the higher secondary schools and colleges level and hoped that there will be a positive response at the end of the awareness exercise.
Goyal also informed that the printing of the final rolls is on January 5 next with the 1st January 2013 as the qualifying date.-By Our Reporter
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