Assam EC launches digital electoral literacy program ahead of LS polls

The 'i-help' initiative to promote digital electoral literacy in Assam has been launched in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, officials said. The 'i-help' is a joint initiative of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) and Common Service Centres (CSC) in Assam.

CEO Mukesh Chandra Sahu launched the 'i-help' initiative on Sunday. "Today, we are experiencing a transition period to the digital world. To make the transition smoother for the general public, CSC can play a vital role to educate the people on the usage of IT-enabled services related to election," Sahu said in a statement.

This particular initiative will fill the digital divide and fulfil the objective of turning the General Election more inclusive and participatory, he added. The CSCs are internet-enabled access points spread throughout the country delivering various government and non- government digital services to the citizens and is uniquely positioned in rural areas to significantly extend the awareness and outreach activities of CEO, Assam.

The statement informed that the entire programme is being launched under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) in the state and it is geared to ensure that no voter is left behind. The CSC has a presence in all the 2,528-gram panchayats in the state and there are 4,587 functional centres at present.

"The presence of the CSCs at the grassroots level can be utilised to educate the voters on ECI's IT-enabled services like c-Vigil and a voter helpline number. It will be a win-win situation if the objective of voter awareness is fulfilled and it will also help the CSCs to build a lasting relationship with the people," Sahu said. As per the last summary revision published on January 1 this year, over 2.17 crore voters, including at least 7.06 lakh first-timers, will exercise their franchise in a three-phase election to elect 14 parliamentarians from Assam. The voting in Assam will take place at 28,143 polling stations in three phases on April 11, 18 and 23.