PANJIM: There is a notable disparity in voter participation between urban and rural areas, with a lower turnout observed in urban areas, according to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ramesh Verma, IAS.
He was speaking at the inter-collegiate street play competition on the Theme “Urban Apathy Among Youth Towards Elections,” organised by the Office of Chief Electoral Officer, Goa in collaboration with the Directorate of Higher Education and the Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sanquelim at Azad Maidan, Panjim on Tuesday.
Verma emphasised that the recent election data clearly illustrates a distinct trend. It shows that individuals in rural areas consistently turn out to cast their votes, while there is a concerning low response from the urban populace, including areas like Panjim, Margao, Taleigao and Fatorda. This observation is particularly perplexing given that urban residents are generally more educated and have access to information through mediums like newspapers and television channels. Despite their awareness, there persists a notable reluctance among urban dwellers to actively engage in the voting process. This prompted the selection of the theme “Urban Apathy among Youth towards Elections,” he added.
Verma encouraged those participants who haven’t registered on the voter list to complete their enrollment online through the official website. Additionally, he shared that there are a total of 11,66,939 voters registered in the State.
Joint CEO Triveni Velip, North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte, IAS, Prof Dr Grevasio SFL Mendes, Principal Government College Sanquelim, Additional Director DHE and Nodal Officer SVEEP North Goa were also present.
Nirmala Institute of Education, Panjim bagged the first prize in the inter-collegiate street play competition, while VVM’s Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, Margao and the Government College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Sanquelim, won the second and third prize respectively.
