GOALPARA, March 27 � In a bid to achieve maximum voter turnout and participation of people in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Central Awareness Observer (CAO) Pankaj Pandey visited Dudhnoi under the Guwahati HPC to assess the amount of information, motivation and facilitation of voters in the area.
The CAO, in a meeting with top election officials of Goalpara district, including Deputy Commissioner-cum-DEO Preetom Saikia, EO Biswajeet Goswami, Circle Officer, Dudhnoi Pranab Dutta Goswami and others held at the Dudhnoi IB, asked the district administration to undertake intervention and outreach programmes to create awareness among the voters on the importance of participation in the electoral process, especially in those areas where the voter turnout is low.
Pandey said that VDPs, NYKs, and ASHA workers should be engaged to provide assistance to elderly and senior citizens, physically challenged and pregnant women voters. He further suggested the use of special rubber stamps and seals on important documents, carrying a message to vote in the forthcoming elections and underlined the need to bridge the gap between male and female voters.
The CAO also suggested to actively involve the BLOs and award them with citations or commendation letters for commendable service. Pandey also visited two polling stations � one at Sialmari under the Kushdhowa Development Block and the other at Balasara � to check the level of poll preparedness in the district.
DEO Preetom Saikia apprised the CAO of the slew of measures taken to raise the awareness of voters in the district apart from regular campaigns, including street plays, quiz and drawing competitions across the district.
A number of voter facilitation centres were also opened in the district keeping this in mind. He also informed the CAO that all the necessary instructions for the Systematic Voters� Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) have been carried out in letter and spirit.
