In a move to ensure that itinerant workers exercise their franchise during elections, the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat has decided to provide jobs to labourers close to their village of origin under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme.
The zilla panchayat will give jobs to all labourers 10 days prior the elections and after to ensure that they do not migrate to other places like Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru and other places for plantation work as is the norm during summer.
Shivashankar, zilla panchyat Chief Executive Officer and chairman of SVEEP committee (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral participation), told The Hindu that over 2,12,000 families in Mysuru district had been given job cards under MNREGA, and all families would be given jobs one week prior to the polls so that they would not migrate other districts in search of labour.
The Election Commission wanted to achieve inclusive, accessible and ethical elections this time, he said, adding that providing jobs to all card-holders is one such step to achieve its objective.
Mr. Shivashankar also said that a drive had been initiated to give voters’ slip to the labourers and also include names not in the voters’ list. They will also be educated about the polling booths along with other aspects of electioneering, he said.
Volunteers will be posted at all rural polling stations to help voters exercise their franchise without any hassle, he said. Polling booths will be set up close to Hadis where tribals reside, and in places with population over 1,200, he said.
A special drive has been taken up all over the district to impress upon people to vote without fail and ASHAs and anganwadi workers had been roped.
