To enthuse the voters, particularly the young ones, into exercising their franchise for the upcoming Assembly election, the Election Commission would go for State electoral mahotsav-2016 in October, said Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi. She convened a meeting with the officials in the secretariat on Thursday to review the preparation being made for the election.
She said that the youngsters who have completed 18 years will be included into electoral list with this special campaign. The three-day-long State electoral mahotsav will be organised in Dehradun and each district would participate.
To gather people in large number, EC will organise painting and debate competitions in the schools and the colleges across the State. The winners will be felicitated during the mahotsav.
As per the awareness programme schedule, the commission would appoint ambassadors in colleges and universities so as to encourage them into gathering their friends in the awareness campaign.
Besides, to sensitise the media, the commission would organise workshops and debates for the journalists. Moreover, the commission would organise election stalls along with food courts and handloom exhibitions. The commission would make use of social media and community radio for the purpose.
Earlier, the Election Commission had organised such mahotsavs at the central level. This is the first time such gatherings are being organised at State level. The initiative was taken by CEO Raturi, commission sources said.
The meeting was attended by additional secretary higher education Ranjit Sinha, addition chief electoral officer SA Murugeshan, additional secretary Ranjana Kumari, additional secretary Manoj Chandran, joint director industry Kaushalya Bandhu and special executive officer Mastu Das among others.