By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 1: In line with the recent announcement from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold green elections this year, the state Election department will organise a massive tree plantation drive during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Informing this on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari, while speaking to the media persons here, said that they have decided to go for massive tree plantations and make the upcoming elections green since Meghalaya is known to be a green state.
Stating that the weather now is very conducive for plantation, he said they are planning to plant two saplings in each polling station.
Informing that the two saplings will be planted by the first male and first female voters in each polling station, Tiwari informed that informed that they have already asked the Forests and Environment department for the provision of the saplings.
The CEO further went on to inform that the polling parties will carry the saplings with them in eco-friendly bags. “We have taken up the matter with Education department for the upkeep and maintenance of the saplings which will be planted within the school premises,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tiwari informed that they have increased the number of polling stations as against the polling stations during the Assembly elections held year.
“We will have a total number of 3,512 polling stations as compared to 3,482 polling stations in the last 2023 Assembly polls,” the CEO said, while assuring that his department is committed to overcome urban and youth apathy, and improve the voter turnout this year.
Informing that a total of five platoons of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are already in station for the upcoming elections, Tiwari informed that the deployment of 35 more CAPF platoons will be made as per the further need and requirement.
With regard to the steps taken to address the challenge of low voter turnout, the CEO said, “We have worked out our plan up to the booth level and also in most of the polling stations, which had lower voting percentage or saw a decrease in the voting. We have planned out our strategies as per polling booth and district.”
According to him, they are also working in tandem with grassroots-level institutions such as the Dorbar Shnongs, schools and other social institutions to overcome the apathy among the voters.
He also informed that a meeting was held regarding the issuance of time vouchers to political parties for their broadcast on the All India Radio and Doordarshan.
“Accordingly, the time vouchers will be issued by the Election Commission of India for the recognised national and state political parties,” he said, while adding that the meeting was to brief them on how to go about obtaining the time vouchers.
With regard to unforeseen downpour, the CEO also informed that the departments of Education and Revenue and Disaster Management have been asked to make all necessary arrangements, keeping in mind that the majority of the polling stations are being set up in the schools.
“We want to ensure that movement should not be hampered and that rain shelters and other things will be provided in all polling stations for the convenience of the voters on the polling day,” he added.