Poster released on ‘Right to vote’ for SC/STs

Ongole: Prakasam district collector AS Dinesh Kumar released a poster created by the Dalitha Hakkula Porata Samithi leader Neelam Nagendrarao on educating the SC, and STs about Right to Vote, along with the acts and provisions to initiate action on people preventing them from exercising their franchise, here on Sunday.

Nagendrarao explained to the collector that there were incidents of obstructing the SCs and STs from voting and threatening them with dire consequences if they didn’t vote for certain people, and even rigging the votes of the dalits and tribal people in the reserved constituencies of Kondapi, Yerragondapalem, and Santhanuthalapadu, along with other general constituencies.

He said that it was in 2014, the SCs and STs in Ramayapalem village of Marripudi mandal in Kondapi constituency utilised their right to vote for the first time, with thanks to the then collector, and present Tirupati MP candidate, GSRKR Vijay Kumar.

He expressed dismay over the election commission ordering for 100 per cent of webcasting of polling in Ongole leaving the other constituencies where mismanagement of booths used to occur. He said that they were shocked to find there was not a single polling booth for the SCs or STs placed in the list of identified 486 critical polling stations in the district.

Nagendrarao said that people who prevent the dalits and tribals from voting, commit any offense on them for voting or not voting for a person, or threaten to hurt or boycott them for voting, would be punishable according to Sections 3(1)(l), 3(1)(n) and 3(1)(o) of the Prevention of Atrocities on SCs and STs Act. He said that the government should provide a compensation of Rs 85,000 to the victims from the SCs and STs, if they could not utilise their right to vote as others prevented them.

Collector announced that they will register cases on people preventing or threatening the SCs, and STs from utilising their right to vote. He said that he will sensitise the officials on the provisions for the SCs and STs on the act, and informed the voters that they could complain about incidents of people intimidating them from exercising the vote. He asked Nagendrarao to forward the digital copy to him to send the EC for sharing with officers from other districts.

Mala Mahanadu district president Dara Anjaiah, Ambedkar Youth Welfare Society district president Veluri Srinivasulu, Kakumanu Ravi, Gogulamudi Ranjith, Dara Balakoteswara Rao and others participated in the programme.