Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 13 March 2024
Chief Electoral Officer of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. B S Jaglan, IAS, recently conducted a visit to Ferrargunj Tehsil on March 12, 2024, to assess the election preparedness. Accompanied by Assistant Returning Officer, Mr. Anand Vardhan Mishra, Tehsildar of Ferrargunj, Mr. Gopa Kumar, and Mr. Shishir Kumar Mishra, DM(IT)/AERO(HQ), Mr. Jaglan reviewed the readiness for the upcoming general elections.
During the visit, Mr. Jaglan addressed all the Supervisors and Booth Level Officers (BLO) of Ferrargunj Tehsil, emphasizing the importance of preparing a Booth Level Turnout Management Plan. He urged them to strive towards increasing the voter turnout in the Tehsil and ensure that voters are facilitated in every possible way to exercise their democratic right on polling day. Noting that the voting percentage in Ferrargunj Tehsil during the previous General Election to Lok Sabha 2019 was 70.69%, Mr. Jaglan aspired to elevate it to 80% for the upcoming General Election 2024.
Highlighting the crucial role of BLOs in enhancing voter participation, Mr. Jaglan stressed the necessity of their active involvement in making electors aware of their part and mobilizing them to the polling booths. He also mentioned the formation of Booth Awareness Groups at the Booth level, comprising officials and members of civil society, to disseminate information and encourage people’s participation in the voting process.
In preparation for the impending general election, Mr. Jaglan underscored the importance of BLOs in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections. Assistant Returning Officer, Mr. Anand Vardhan Mishra, provided updates, informing that the initial round of training for Master Trainers, Polling Personnel, and Sector Officers under Ferrargunj Tehsil had been successfully completed.
With the upcoming general elections on the horizon, the visit served as a call to action for all election stakeholders to work collaboratively towards achieving increased voter turnout and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.