To boost the voting percentage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Pune Collector Dr Suhas Diwase has urged people to actively engage in SVEEP activities. He emphasised the need for direct outreach to various units to raise public awareness. Additionally, he added that the special attention should be given to ensuring that all officers, employees, and police personnel assigned for election duties exercise their vote by post.
Addressing the gathering during the coordination officers' meeting at the Collectorate for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Tuesday, Collector Dr Suhas Diwase was joined by Chief Executive Officer of Zila Parishad Ramesh Chavan, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Meenal Kalaskar, Additional Collector Sonappa Yamgar, along with Reshma Mali, Pratibha Ingle, SVEEP Nodal Officer Deputy Collector Archana Tambe, Media Nodal Officer Divisional Information Deputy Director Dr Purushottam Patodkar, and other officials.
The meeting highlighted the challenge of increasing voting percentages. Dr Diwase stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns in housing institutions, industrial establishments, and upcoming programs with companies in Hinjawadi targeting IT sector employees to encourage voting.
Enhancing the voting rate in constituencies with less than fifty percent turnout and coordinating with colleges for student voters were suggested. He urged offices to send letters to their election-appointed officers and employees for immediate ballot paper certification, emphasising public awareness through women's self-help groups to enhance women's voting. The meeting covered instructions on manpower appointments, material supply, training arrangements, standardised procedures for permits during polling, code of conduct, and cost control.
CEO Ramesh Chavan emphasised creating awareness among women in self-help groups under the District Rural Development System to increase female voter turnout.