Locals pledge to exercise franchise in Chamba’s Silla Gharat, Ghagrota
Chamba, May 7
The Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) team of the Chamba Assembly constituency on Tuesday organised a series of voter awareness camps in the villages of Silla Gharat and Ghagrota gram panchayats to educate voters about the importance of voting and increase the turnout in the Lok Sabha elections. The camps were organized at Tikri, Chungah, Malog, Silla Gharat, and Ghagrota, which had registered voter turnout of less than 60 per cent in the previous general elections.
Prof Avinash Pal, the nodal officer of SVEEP, highlighted the efforts being made to understand the reasons behind the low voter turnout earlier. To address this issue and improve voter turnout in future elections, awareness campaigns were conducted, engaging various stakeholders such as Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, youth groups, local residents, panchayat representatives, elders, women, shopkeepers, and students.
A voter awareness campaign was held at the Government Senior Secondary School, Silla Gharat, urging students, teachers, and staff to actively participate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The importance of unbiased and fearless voting was emphasised with the SVEEP team administering an oath to the attendees. Prof Pal provided crucial information regarding voting processes, including voter helplines and online voter registration through the Voter Helpline app and the ECI portal. Signatures campaign under the pledge of ‘My Vote, My Power’ was organised, encouraging fair, unbiased, and pressure-free voting.
SVEEP team member Deepak Kumar addressed the audience, stressing that voting was not just a right but also a duty. He highlighted the role of voting in strengthening democracy by ensuring active citizen participation in the political process and influencing public policies. The event concluded with a renewed commitment to democratic principles and an affirmation to uphold the values of fairness, transparency, and active participation in the electoral process.
