Poll personnel training in Jorhat, special drive for voters' awareness

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, March 24: The second phase of training for poll personnel of Jorhat Election District is underway at Jorhat Government Boys’ HS and MP School from March 22. Training for the next batch of this phase will be held on March 25.

During this phase, polling personnel will be trained about magement of polling station as well as operation of the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine). Altogether, there are 522 polling stations in the Jorhat Election District, out of which 179 are under 97 Dergaon (SC) LAC, 191 under 98 Jorhat LAC and another 152 under 102 Teok LAC. Apart from one Presiding Officer, four polling officers will be engaged in each Polling Station’s. On the day of voting on April 4; 2,287 polling personnel will be engaged on duty, out of which 723 will be for Dergaon, 955 for Jorhat and 609 for Teok LAC. Additiolly, 25 per cent polling personnel are being kept in reserve category to meet any eventuality.

Meanwhile, in a bid to ensure the use of voting rights by the polling personnel engaged for April 4 poll day in Jorhat Election District, Ballot Paper and Postal Ballot Paper Cell will open one Facilitation Centre on March 25 at Govt. Boys HS & MP School and another centre at District Library on March 29, March 30  and March 31. All poll personnel can obtain Form No. 12 from that centre and submit the same along with election duty engagement order to the cell. Last date for submission of form is April 2.

With poll date nearing, the Jorhat district administration is maintaining strict measures to curb MCC violations in the three LACs, viz. – 97 Dergaon (SC), 98 Jorhat and 102 Teok LAC. Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams are acting day and night to detect violations and taking up appropriate measures. On March 21 night, Static Surveillance Team seized Rs. 75,000 at -Ali area under Jorhat LAC. The MCC cell has further removed 2,198 banners and hoardings put up at uuthorized locations by political parties and candidates and issued show cause notices to two political parties for holding meeting using loudspeaker and taking out rally without valid permission.

In between the training of poll personnel, the Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) cell of the Jorhat Election District is implementing extensive voter awareness activities to elicit maximum voter participation in the ensuing Assam Assembly Elections. The cell has already identified polling stations where voter turn-out was very low during the last election and intensified awareness drive in those areas through awareness meetings and demonstration of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). The cell gave emphasis on more youth participation in the electoral process and has appointed three brand ambassadors, one each for Jorhat Engineering College, Jorhat Medical College and Assam Agricultural University.

The ambassadors are conducting awareness meetings to involve the youth and students in the electoral process. Further, awareness meetings at Kakojan College, JB College, Baho College, Jorhat Central College, DKD College have been organized by the SVEEP Cell along with quiz and essay competitions among school the students. The cell has also used traditiol media like street play and puppetry to encourage voter participation. Invitation letters signed by the Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer have also been distributed amongst the voters through sector officers at booth level appealing voters to cast their valuable vote in the election. Also a song rendered by popular singer Zubin Garg is being played through mobile van in different areas.