Thiruvananthapuram, March 21 The office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Kerala on Thursday released a handbook on the 'green protocol' to be followed strictly by campaigners and election officials during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
All 20 seats of Kerala will go to the polls on April 26, in the second of the multi-phase Lok Sabha elections.
Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul released the handbook "Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Green Protocol Compliance Doubts and Answers", prepared in collaboration with the Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission.
It guides stakeholders on using eco-friendly materials during the electioneering to minimise polluting garbage being generated.
Significantly, the elections are being held when the state government is pressing ahead with a massive "Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam" campaign and a slew of other big-ticket schemes like the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWM).
The Election Commission of India has also issued instructions to use only nature-friendly materials for election-related activities. Propaganda materials using flex boards, plastic flag poles, polyester cloth, and similar polluting substances should be strictly avoided. Propaganda boards and banners should be made of cotton and paper.
Natural materials like 'panampaya' (palm leaf mats), 'pulpaya' (grass mats), palm leaves, reeds, bamboo, and areca nut leaves should also be used. Similarly, eco-friendly materials should be used to decorate election offices of political parties.
The District Election Officer will take action if prohibited materials are found to be used.
The handbook also asks campaigners to explore the possibilities of digital technology, which will reduce the use of non-degradable campaign materials significantly. It is also suggested that flower garlands, cotton shawls, books, and fruit baskets be given as gifts at receptions to candidates.
On the polling day on April 26, the protocol suggests polling officials should take care to avoid plastic items while setting up the polling booths.
The polling officials and agents should use steel plates and glasses instead of plastic products while consuming food and water. Eco-friendly plates and glasses should be kept at polling stations. The district administration should ensure that the voter slips are not left around the booths but delivered to the collection centres or handed over to scrap dealers.
After the elections, the local self-government bodies, political parties, the Haritha Keralam Mission, Suchitwa Mission and other voluntary organisations should remove the materials used for election campaigns and carry out cleaning activities.
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