CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation has initiated a series of virtual meetings with college students in the city, to encourage participation and create awareness on electoral processes, ahead of the Assembly elections. The initiative -- OPEN (Online Participation of Electoral Networks) -- is part of various measures underway to connect with voters, increase turnout and minimize the pandemic effect on polling.
The interactive sessions will cover several aspects, including voter registration, and include quiz programmes for students. “The interactive presentation was designed in a way that it captures the students’ imagination and we cover interesting anecdotes to show them that every vote counts. We bagan the initiative at Stella Maris College and over 300 students participated in the session,” Deputy Commissioner (Revenue and Finance) Meghanath Reddy said.
The City Corporation is also focusing on creating awareness among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). A WhatsApp helpline (94999 33619) has been set up for them to raise any issues pertaining to elections, so that visits to Corporation office can be avoided. According to officials, implementing the cash assistance scheme for PwDs in the city amidst the pandemic helped add around 3,000 new people to their database, bringing the total number of PwDs in the database to around 8,000.
“When we received complaints that the helpline dedicated for election information was always busy, we conducted special zoom meetings with representatives and activists,” a senior Corporation official said.
City residents may also contact 1950 toll free helpline for details on electoral registration and detail revision.