CEO bats for increased electoral literacy through more trainings

To achieve the purpose, electoral literacy clubs have been started in high and higher secondary schools based on the orders of the Election Commission, said Sahoo while interacting with reporters during the programme.

The training programme at Vellore was meant for seven districts, including Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Krishnagiri, Tiruvallur and Dharmapuri. Sahoo said the voting percentage of 72 per cent in the last Parliamentary elections could be increased further through such an exercise.

Though 25 lakh voters should be added to the electoral rolls annually, presently only 10 lakh voters were being enrolled, he lamented. Hence the trainers, who were trained in such programmes planned in Vellore, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Madurai would in turn train trainers in their respective districts, he added.

Stating that electoral literacy clubs had been started in around 13,000 schools in Tamil Nadu, including 5,796 high and 7,809 higher secondary schools, he said the trainers would also act as counselors to students and impart advice on the need and importance of enrolling themselves as voters and exercising their franchise during elections.

The programme in which Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram and joint CEO Manikandan participated in a private hotel also saw various games and awareness programmes being conducted for the 100 trainingparticipants.