Mumbai: When the Constitution gave people the right to vote, it could not be exercised by many people living in remote areas. They didn't even know how to get a voter card. Some people paid Rs 300 to Rs 400 to brokers to get voter cards to no avail. However, Mumbaikars have now rushed to the call of the villagers.
Since 2014, Pukar Sanstha in Mumbai has been working at the village level for the development of Palghar, a tribal district. From April 2022, the work of the organization started in Vikramgad taluka of Palghar district. Along with the youth of the village, they spread awareness about various schemes available to the concerned. Interestingly, free voter registration is also done in the village itself and now the villagers of Palghar will be able to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections.
The organization has started a project to strengthen local democracy in 25 villages to make the citizens aware of and benefit from government schemes and to ensure the all-round development of villages.
Project Director Kiran Sawant said that under the project, a competent team of villages was formed by taking the youth of the villages together and giving them various trainings.
Online registration:
Young men and women of the villages were taught to register themselves online. A village-level camp was organized for the villagers who needed help and many were registered online as voters. During the three months from October 2023 to December 2023, the team enrolled a total of 2,354 persons in the electoral rolls and downloaded their voter cards.
Housing survey:
Pukar's village companions go to the hamlets and survey the houses. The survey shows families in need. They are informed about government schemes. If their family fits the eligibility criteria of the scheme, then the family is assisted in the application process by Pukar Organization to get the benefit of the scheme.
People's right to vote:
The organization started voter registration work in collaboration with gram panchayats. Members went door-to-door explaining voting rights. Showed that voter registration can be done online.