The Maharashtra State Election Commission (MSEC) bestows voters an exclusive helpline to address all their queries. This is for the first time in the history of polls in the city, that citizens will have round the clock access to any election related information.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission (MSEC) bestows voters an exclusive helpline to address all their queries. This is for the first time in the history of polls in the city, that citizens will have round the clock access to any election related information. The election commission has operationalised 56677 as a civic election 2012 voter’s helpline.
All that one has to do is send in a text message. The citizens have to type ‘Voter MCGM- along with their name’. To facilitate the information is accurate; the helpline also has a two way filtration system. To verify the identity of an individual, the helpline also asks for additional details to furbish the information.
“In several occasion voters can have identical names. In such cases to cross check and to provide the correct information, the helpline will ask for one’s date of birth and election identity card number,” said SS Shinde, joint municipal commissioner (election).The civic polls in the city are due in February 2012.
The entire project has been termed by MSEC as ‘E-yaadi’ which means electronic details. The task for running the helpline has been given to the Ultimate Technology private limited. “A time limit has been set to respond to the voter’s queries. The helpline will revert back to the voter within 30-60 seconds,” he added.
Civic officials state that the practice will not only make exercising one’s right to franchise convenient but is also set to augment the voter’s turn out. “Most of the time the ambiguity is which polling centre does one has to visit to cast his vote. With hike in voters’ population and polling booth, such a system was required,” said a senior official from the election department.
The idea of the SMS service is taken from the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation general election. The city during its civic polls in 2010 had used the SMS service and witnessed positive response from people during the election. “The system is in its final stage. We are in the process of further minimising the loopholes in the SMS service implemented in Kolhapur,” the officials added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}