Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand, K Ravi Kumar today said that the Election Commission is continuously making efforts to increase the voting percentage in urban areas. Especially every possible effort is being made to encourage the elite people to leave their homes and go to the polling booth to vote. He said that cooperation of housing societies etc is also being taken for this.
Under the Voter Awareness Programme, work is being done to continuously contact people and make them aware of the importance of voting and to motivate them to vote. In this regard, the SVEEP program is also continuing. The CEO was holding a regular press briefing at Nirvachan Sadan in Dhurwa on Wednesday.
Kumar said that awareness for voting has increased in urban areas. This is the reason why voter registration applications (Form-6) are being received the most from urban areas. He said that the time period for filling Form-6 for voter registration in the areas of the fourth phase of elections has ended. Appealing to the voters, he said that the voters of the remaining constituencies of other phases should still fill Form-6 for voter registration and participate in the voting.
The CEO said that for the fourth phase of elections, the maximum number of 13 nominations so far among the four Lok Sabha constituencies of the state has been made for Singhbhum region. The lowest number of nominations so far has been 8 for the Palamu region. There have been 10 nominations in Lohardaga and 9 in Khunti. He said that to ensure fair and fear-free elections, various agencies are continuously taking action against illegal drugs, illegal currency transactions and anti-social activities.
So far, the agencies have seized a total of Rs 67 crore, 40 lakh, 75 thousand, 813 rupees. Voters associated with election work and those working in essential services like railways, health, media, fire fighting etc. and they are performing their duties on the day of voting. But due to their residence, they cannot go to the polling station, fill Form 12D and take the application from all those voters and ensure their voting through postal ballot.
Meanwhile, in another meeting the CEO said that officials should work with the aim that not even a single voter who wants to exercise his franchise should be deprived of his right to vote. He was holding a review meeting organized from Nirvachan Sadan with the District Deputy Electoral Officers and District Postal Ballot Nodal Officers of all the districts through video conferencing.
He said that the officials of the Postal Ballot Cell of all the districts should take applications from the voters connected with the essential services of their district and working in the voting work by filling the form prescribed by the Election Commission of India for voting through postal ballot or they should go to the polling station themselves and vote.
If the candidates are willing to do so, then take their/their organization's feedback and submit a report in the format given by the Election Commission. He said that by establishing close coordination with all the concerned officials of the Railways, they should make all the railway workers, vendors, porters and other people aware about the use of voting rights and also make necessary efforts for their easy voting. He said that if there is a possibility of non-cooperation in this matter at any level, then let us know. Similarly, senior citizens above 80 years of age or disabled voters, who are unable to reach the polling booth, can vote through their postal ballot. Complete all necessary preparations for voting on time.
On this occasion, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Neha Arora, State Police Postal Ballot Nodal Officer Patel Mayur Kanhaiya Lal, OSD Geeta Choubey and other officials were present.
