Karwar: Deputy Commissioner K Harishkumar and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Roshan flagged off a voter awareness jatha and voter enrolment awareness campaign in Karwar on Monday.
The jatha which began at the deputy commissioner's office passed through the main streets of the city. The jatha had been organised by the District Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme committee. Various folk art troupes also participated in the jatha and drew the attention of the people. Asha workers, students, physically challenged people also participated in large number.
The deputy commissioner, zilla panchayat CEO and other officers who walked with the procession distributed pamphlets in shops creating awareness about exercising franchise among the people. They even appealed street-side vendors, vehicle drivers, pedestrians and others to cast their vote without fail during the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Oath to cast vote
After going around the town, they all gathered near the Mayur Verma Vedike where the ZP CEO M Roshan administered oath to everyone. The people took an oath to cast their vote and also motivate other eligible voters to cast their votes without fail.
Later, everyone signed on the huge board kept behind the Vedike to make people aware of the importance of voting in elections.
Delay in prog
The voter awareness jatha and voter enrolment awareness campaign were supposed to begin at 10:30 am. A demonstration on the electronic voting machine was held at the District Bar Hall half an hour before these programmes. Due to this, the jatha inauguration delayed by one hour. The DC and the ZP CEO who were supposed to inaugurate the demonstration programme, arrived late to the jatha. Meanwhile, Asha workers, students, physically challenged people who had gathered at the venue in large number had to wait for them in the scorching sun. Unable to bear the heat, an Asha worker collapsed when the jatha began.
ZP CEO M Roshan, who is also the president of the District SVEEP committee, regretted the delay and inconvenience. He assured that such things will not reoccur.