Implement SVEEP effectively, says Udupi ZP CEO

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Feb 15, 2019: Sindhu B. Rupesh, CEO of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat, said on Thursday that the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme should be implemented effectively in the district so that there was not just awareness about voting but also an increase in voter turnout during the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

She was chairing a meeting on the implementation of SVEEP programme for the forthcoming parliamentary elections at the District Offices Complex here.

Ms. Rupesh said that the District SVEEP Committee had effectively implemented the SVEEP programme during the 2018 Assembly elections in the district. It was essential to create more awareness about Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) among voters.

As the EVMs have no connectivity, it was not possible to hack and control them. EVMs had made the voting process transparent. Each vote was safe in the EVMs. So far, no complaints about the misuse of EVMs had been proved, she said.

Besides voters could verify their votes through VVPATs. Hence, voters should not get confused and participate wholeheartedly in the voting process, Ms. Rupesh said.

The intention of the Election Commission of India was to include all voters and ensure smooth and ethical conduct of elections. All voters, including the differently abled persons and sexuality minorities, should participate in the election process. More awareness should be created about voting and even social media would be used to create this awareness, she said.

The VVPAT machines were expected to arrive in the district within a couple of days. A demonstration of VVPATs would be held for the benefit of voters. All government departments should create awareness on voting during their department programmes, she said.

Courtesy:The hindu