JAGATSINGHPUR: A tri-cycle race was organised by the district administration to create awareness among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) about their right to vote and participation in the electoral process.
Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar flagged off the race as part of the district administration’s voter awareness programme at the Collectorate here on Monday. Under Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), the administration has launched a variety of public awareness programmes to sensitise voters on the importance of voting and ensure maximum turnout in the General Elections in the State. Different Government departments and other organisations have been roped in to achieve this objective.
Under SVEEP, the district administration has been focusing on women, PwD and first time voters. In a bid to ensure maximum participation of women in the electoral process, the administration has engaged 1,350 women polling personnel in different booths across the district. Besides, two polling booths for women will be opened at SK Academy in Jagatsinghpur town.
It has also been decided to open two booths for PwDs in Jagatsinghpur and Paradip Municipality areas. These booths will have facilities like ramp, volunteers, tri-cycles and others. The district administration will establish as many as eight model polling booths in block. These initiatives are aimed at increasing voting percentage in the district.
Later on the day, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central) Anil Kumar Samal distributed certificates and trophies among the winners of the tri-cycle race. He also attended a SVEEP programme at the Town Hall. In Jagatsinghpur district, there are 3,34,284 PwD voters of which 18,922 are males and 15,362 females.