HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 15: There is a need to increase voters’ turnout by more than 84 per cent or above, said district election and returning officer, Rohan Kumar Jha.
Jha made this remark on the occasion of launching the theme song for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Silchar on Saturday.
Officially unveiling several programmess on the occasion, the district election and returning officer said that in the last election in Cachar, the highest voters’ turnout was 85.63 per cent in Katigorah constituency, while the lowest was 74.03 per cent in Lakhipur constutuency. So this time Lakhipur has been specially targeted so that the voting rate of this constituency can be increased.
“Around 13.5 lakh voters will cast their valuable votes in the district this year, earlier it was 11 lakh” Rohan Kumar Jha said.
He also informed that voting will be conducted in 1551 booths in the Cachar district. Thenumber of booths during the earlier general elections were around 1800.
Jha further said that the votes of 2713 voters, who are above 85 years of age and specially-abled in the district will be collected from their homes in two phases. It is part of the plan to increase the voting rate by the election commissioner.
Meanwhile, two new areas of Panchgram and Badarpur were also included in Silchar constituency in the upcoming parliamentary parliamentary election.
As a part of the initiative of the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Cell of the Cachar district administration, the theme song was launched along with the mascot VIDYA (Voters Initiative for Democracy and Youth Awareness). A selfie stand was also unveiled and an election awareness vehicle of this year’s Lok Sabha elections was ceremonially flagged off Jha for the purpose of increasing the voting rate and creating mass awareness.
With a view to create awareness for preservation, sustaining ecological balance, prevent illegal poaching and pet trade of Hollock gibbons ,an endangered species native to Northeast India, eastern Bangladesh, Myanmar and mostly found in Barak-Bhuban wildlife sanctuary and in Barail wildlife sanctuary, the Cachar administration has chosen a replica of Hillock gibbon as mascot VIDYA ,a voter’s initiative for democracy and youth awareness for this year’s parliamentary election. The natural habitat of this animal is deep forest, but because of deforestation they are forced to enter human habitation in search of food and habitat.
Meanwhile, two ‘district icons’, assistant professor of the department of visual art of the Assam University and well-known columnist, Ganesh Nandi and specially abled folk music artist, Rudrani Das were also felicitated by Jha.
A street play was also performed highlighting the issue of voting.
Interacting with the media, Jha informed about various activities and initiatives taken by the Cdachar district administration to create awareness amongst public to increase the voting rate. He also appealed to all the adult voters of the district to exercise their right to franchise. District development commissioner Norsing Bey also gave a relevant speech on the occasion. The programme was also attended by the additional district commissioner, Yubaraj Borthakur, Antara Sen, assistant commissioner, Anjali Kumari and other officials and staff of the district administration.
