STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In an unprecedented mobilization effort, the District Election Office Jammu on Wednesday concluded a comprehensive voter awareness campaign featuring over 8,000 events, and a participation of over 560,000 individuals, all within a single day.
Held under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program ahead of polling in PC Jammu and spearheaded by Sachin Kumar Vaishya, District Election Officer (DEO) and Returning Officer for Jammu Parliamentary constituency, the initiative marked one of the largest electoral awareness campaigns in the region.
The events, organised across the district at all district offices, sectoral offices, sub-offices, polling stations, and in all the educational institutions including University of Jammu, Colleges, and schools, were strategically designed to educate, encourage and empower the electorate, focusing especially on new voters, ensuring they understand the importance of their participation in the democratic process.
Some of the notable departments/offices that organised these events included Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Social Welfare Department, which conducted 2654 events, engaging 66,350 participants; Rural Development Department conducted 2450 events, engaging 52,000 participants; Revenue Department held 1600 events, engaging 32,500 participants; Health Department conducted 500 events, engaging 12,500 participants; Education Department conducted 980 events, engaging 84,540 participants.
One of the highlights of the campaign was the administration of the Voters’ Pledge by The DEO at District Collector’s office complex. It was attended by all district and sectoral officers and officials, who collectively vowed to uphold the democratic values and actively participate in the electoral process. Voters’ pledge was also administered at all the departments/offices. Emphasizing the critical role of young electorate, a special event was organized in the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu, which witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 2,000 young voters.
Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal, General Observer, Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency, Dr Gajarao Bhupal, Police Observer also participated in the event. The first-time voters were urged to not only vote but also to ask their families and peers to participate actively in the festival of democracy. EPICs were also distributed amongst the attendees. The event concluded with enthralling cultural performance by the celebrity singer Sangram Hanjram who also appealed the voters to vote in large numbers on 26th Aril, 2024.
The extensive SVEEP campaign utilized a variety of innovative methods to maximize outreach and impact. These included street plays, puppet shows, debates, quizzes, and workshops reaching every corner of the district. Each program was tailor-made to cater to the local audience, ensuring that the message of electoral participation was clear and comprehensible. Additionally, the campaign harnessed the power of modern technology, utilizing social media platforms and other digital means to reach out to the tech-savvy population, with crucial information about voter rights, election dates and process.
The success of the SVEEP initiative in Jammu was a result of collaborative efforts between government officials and employees, NGOs, and civil society groups, which facilitated a wider reach of the campaign. As the district gears up for the upcoming election on April 26, 2024, the DEO Jammu expressed confidence that the overwhelming participation and enthusiasm witnessed during the SVEEP campaign will translate into a significant increase in voter turnout and reaffirm the commitment of the region to vibrant democratic ethos.
