Win or lose, green award awaits contenders post polls

KOCHI: Even if contestants in the district fail to win assembly elections, they can still bag an award. Suchitwa Mission Ernakulam on Saturday announced that it will be giving an award to the contestant who follows green protocol during the election.In a press release, Suchitwa Mission announced that an award will be given to the candidate who adopts a pollution-free method for his or her campaign by avoiding PVC and plastic materials.

“The best candidate will be selected based on the material used in the election campaign and how much materials they hand over during and after the campaign. Similarly, priority given for waste management in election manifesto will also be considered while selecting the best candidate in the district,” stated the release.

Like in the last parliamentary and local body elections, strict green guidelines have been set for the upcoming assembly election as well. “The protection of environment will be a key factor. After each election, over hundred tonnes of plastic waste used to be dumped by candidates. As a solution, Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Kerala Mission are sensitising leaders and public not to use PVC and plastic objects for campaign,” stated the release.

PVC flex boards and plastic banners are completely banned during campaign. Instead, candidates should use banners made of environment-friendly nylon, polyester and other bio-degradable materials. The public can complain to authorities if any candidate is found using PVC flex boards and plastic banners.After election campaign, all candidates and political party members should collect posters and banners used for campaign. The collected waste should be handed over to local self-government bodies from where it will be collected by the state government’s Clean Kerala Company for waste management and recycling.

Similarly, training is being given to polling officials to check the green protocol adopted by candidates. No banned plastic materials will be allowed near polling stations. Already, guidelines on adopting green protocol during the election were discussed with representatives of political parties in the meeting held in the district. Awareness materials will be given to candidates who file nominations from the district.With the assistance of National Service Scheme members, volunteers will be deployed at all polling booths to ensure green protocol. Already campaigns on green protocol have been launched on social media platforms.