Special awareness programme for booths recording lowest polling percentage
Chennai: Chennai District election officer and corporation commissioner Chandra Mohan reveals his strategies for May 16 Assembly polls. In an interview to Deccan Chronicle, the nodal officer for Chennai’s 16 Assembly constituencies is confident of a free and fair poll with an increase in poll percentage.
Q Unlike rural areas, Chennai has been suffering low voter turnout. In 2011 polls, the city recorded the lowest turn out of just 68 per cent. Is the civic body serious about the issue?
Based on instructions, special awareness drives are conducted in congested pockets and several first time initiatives like placing bill boards in bus shelters and campaigns in congested places like Marina have been taken up. Under the first phase 60 locations were identified, particularly bus shelters near colleges, aimed at increasing awareness among first time voters. Now, other districts are also following Chennai.
Q Cash for votes and freebies have become the order of the day. Particularly, high profile R. K. Nagar and Kolathur seats where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and DMK leader M. K. Stalin to contest are in north Chennai. Is there a move to increase the number of flying squads or static surveillance teams to prevent cash for votes?
At present, there are 48 teams monitoring 16 Assembly constituencies seizing cash. Increasing the number of squads has to be decided by chief electoral officer and Election Commission (EC).
Q South Chennai records low polling percentage consistently. Is there any strategy to increase poll percentage?
Top 10 lowest polling booths have been identified. A few polling booths in Saidapet, Mylapore, Virgumbakkam and Velachery are to be covered under a special awareness programme. Similarly, the booths with lowest turn out in north Chennai are also under study.
Q Several political parties are demanding that central government staff be roped in for poll works.
The corporation would be pressing about 21,000 workers on poll duty and this includes officers from central government departments like Southern Railway and Accountant-General’s office. The response from the central government staff is encouraging.
Q When there are complaints against returning officers what will be the redressal period. What are the major complaints that come from public?
Complaints are mostly related to defacement and voters roll corrections. Fourteen nodal officers have been appointed and a 24 hour helpline, headed by a DRO is in place to address the issues. Some complaints are attended immediately within in a day and in case of corrections and name changes, the duration is followed as per the EC’s guidelines.
