New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) To generating awareness on electoral process through activities like discussions, quizzes, competitions and other engaging activities Election Commission of India on Wednesday launched voter awareness forum (VAF) here.
Similar VAFs were also launched by the Chief Electoral Officers in the State capitals and by District Election Officers in the Districts simultaneously, an official release said.
According to the Commission VAFs are informal forums and added that all employees of the organisation are expected to become members of the VAF with the head of the organisation acting as the chair.
Addressing the Nodal Officers from 44 Union Ministries and representatives from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, the Commission exhorted them to immediately set up VAFs and facilitate enrollment of all employees and officials on the electoral roll.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that the founding fathers of the Constitution had an instinctive faith in the citizenry of the country and therefore gifted Universal Adult Franchise to the Indian populace while other democracies took years before extending this right to all its citizens.
“It is therefore our collective responsibility to value and preserve this right and in this endeavour voter awareness forums have a crucial role to play”, Mr Arora said.
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa said thousands of unnamed and faceless Government officials undertake the task of preserving the electoral process, in different capacities and roles. Hailing the officers as “Ambassadors of Democracy”, Mr Lavasa said that as Nodal Officers, now they are invested with the additional responsibility of educating colleagues and staff in their work place and ensuring that all the members of their Ministry and Departments are familiar with the electoral procedure right from enrollment to the casting of the vote.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, briefed about the ‘Voter Verification and Information’ drive that the Commission is taking up and asked VAF to facilitate members to check their names and details on Electoral Roll through online NVSP portal of ECI and the Voter Helpline No 1950.
VAF is part of the Electoral Literacy Club programme of the poll body. Launched on the 8th National Voters Day, January 25, 2018, the ELC programme envisages setting up of Electoral Literacy Club in every educational institution and Chunav Pathshala at every booth to cover those outside the formal education system.
Around 2.11 Lakh ELCs have already been established across the country in the first year of the launch of the programme, the release said.
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