Lack of official information and co-ordination between government agencies led to a lot of confusion over the awareness programmes on electronic voting machines (EVMs), conducted by the district administration of Pallavaram assembly segment on Saturday.
The Election Commission of India has ordered that awareness programmes on EVMs be conducted in all revenue villages in a district.
Accordingly, the Kancheepuram district administration conducted awareness programmes in Pammal, Anakaputhur and Chromepet, all part of the Sriperumbudur parliamentary constituency.
However, many residents of Pammal, Pallavaram and Chromepet alleged that officials did not give prior information about these awareness programmes, and many voters did not attend them.
At the campaign organised near Anakaputhur market, officials demonstrated the functioning of the EVMs. Similar campaigns were conducted near Chromepet bus terminus and Pallavaram railway station in the afternoon, and the response was mediocre.
In Chengalpattu assembly segment too, the turnout, on Saturday, at the venues of the EVM awareness programme was poor.
Awareness programmes in Tambaram will be conducted at Madambakkam Kozhipannai, Krishna Nagar police booth and Bharath Engineering College at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, and at Tambaram taluk office, Madras Christian College, West Tambaram bus terminus and Mudichur bus stop on Thursday.
