CEO's office launches twin trams to educate voters in city about EVMs, VVPAT

Kolkata: In a unique bid to create awareness among voters to exercise their franchise, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the state introduced two trams with facilities to educate voters about the use of EVMs and VVPAT.

One of the trams will move around South Kolkata with another in North Kolkata till Saturday.

The two constituencies of Kolkata North and Kolkata South in the city, along with Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour and Jadavpur will go to polls on May 19, in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

"Tram is one of the modes that we are using for greater participation of common people in the electoral process. These will move around different parts of the city and create awareness about EVMs and VVPAT. Our icons for physically challenged voters will also motivate them," CEO Bengal Ariz Aftab said on Tuesday, while flagging off a tram from Ballygunge tram depot.

The trams have been decked up nicely with hoardings, banners and leaflets that speak about the importance of elections and at the same time, educate voters about the process. As per figures available with the Election Commission in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the two Kolkata parliamentary constituencies saw poor turnout of voters. Although the state average was a whopping 82.22 percent, Kolkata South recorded only 67.95 percent voting with North Kolkata at 65.99 percent.

Some Assembly constituencies located within the city also witnessed poor percentage. Tollygunge, which falls under Jadavpur constituency, recorded a voting of 74.01 percent, while Metiabruz under Diamond Harbour constituency and Bidhannagar Assembly segment under Barasat constituency recorded 72.26 percent and 71.81 percent respectively.