Create awareness for better turnout: CEC
JAIPUR: Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora on Friday directed the election department to increase the voting percentage of women and youth and conduct voter awareness campaign in districts where turnout was low during last Lok Sabha elections.
Taking a review meeting for this year’s Lok Sabha election with officials, Arora asked them to organise awareness camps in colleges and publicise voter helpline number 1950 along with providing better facilities at polling booths for the disabled.
Arora and deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena and secretary Rahul Sharma are on a two-day visit to Rajasthan to review the preparations for the elections.
He took feedback on brief summary revision, first-level checking of electronic voting machines and voter verifiable paper audit trail, basic facilities at polling centres, C-vigil application, service voters, voter helpline number 1950, allotment of machines, rationalisation of polling centres and son.
Chief electoral officer Anand Kumar said the department started the preparations for Lok Sabha elections just after the conclusion of assembly elections. He said training for election personnel has been started and continuous monitoring of poll preparations is being done through video conferencing with divisional commissioners and district election officers.
Arora on Saturday will meet chief secretary DB Gupta, additional chief secretary home Rajeev Swaroop and director general of police Kapil Garg to discuss transfer policy, electoral offences, to deploy adequate security at critical polling booths and steps to be taken against illegal weapons, liquor and vehicles and law and order situation.