As the day of polling for GHMC elections inches closer, State Election Commission (SEC) authorities have advised civic body officials to take all possible measures to increase the poll percentage this time, including improved awareness programmes and distribution of voter slips to as many voters as possible.
The SEC has asked GHMC authorities to supply 100% voter slips to the electorate since lack of their supply was found to be the main reason for the low poll percentage in 2009 (42.04%) and 2016 (45.29%) elections to the civic body. In the instructions sent to the GHMC Commissioner, SEC secretary M. Ashok Kumar wished the former to complete supply of 100% voter slips by November 25 by visiting door to door.
Further, the SEC has suggested that the field level functionaries submit a report to the Deputy Commissioners concerned of GHMC on the extent of voter slips distributed till November 25 evening and the reasons for non-distribution of slips, in case of balance. The Deputy Commissioners have been asked to visit at least 30% of households to ascertain proper distribution of voter slips.
Further, the SEC has suggested Zonal Commissioners to visit at least 10% of the households randomly to confirm about the distribution of voter slips.
They have also been told to make one employee responsible for each ward to contact self-help group members, residents’ welfare associations, gated community associations, colony/basti leaders and house owners (property tax payers) over phone regularly to find whether they have received voter slips.
After finding the extent of households that have not been distributed with the voter slips, the slips have to be distributed to the remaining households without fail by November 27, the SEC secretary told GHMC officials.
