SUCCESSFUL SVEEP INITIATIVES WEST CHAMPARAN, BIHAR LOK SABHA ELECTIONS 2014 Abhay Kumar Singh – (then) DM West Champaran

Holistic Approach based on ECI Checklist Critical Gaps/ Regions Urban Areas Media & Outdoor Publicity Polling Day & Model Booths Rural Areas Youth, Women & Farmers Results Multi-party Co-ordination & Fund Dovetailing Multi-party Co-ordination & Fund Dovetailing

Urban Areas Mass Mobilization Motorcycle Rallies, Marathons, Mohalla Interactions, Roadshows, Events at Town Hall 2 big events/week Personally led all events giving huge attraction DM, SP & ICONs Events reached each & every urban area Every Mohalla Covered Maximum partnerships for maximum reach e.g. Urban Dev, Public Reln. Dept, SP Office, Banks, Private colleges, sports associations > 10 Partners Openness & good communication by district administration to community Confidence Building Strong & direct communication Positive vibrant buzz in the town

Motorcycle Rally Mohalla Interactions Marathon Flag March

Road shows with State ICON Community pledge taking as well as Individual Pledge taking in all schools Public events in town hall Rallies reaching out to every ward

Large-Scale Rural Awareness Comprising Booth Level Officers, Sakshar Bharat Preraks, Livelihood Mission Mobilizers, ASHAs, Anganwadi Sewikas, Community Groups. Systematic Training for Teams and Event Calendar (*next 2 slides) Partnerships for Panchayat SVEEP Teams Centres established at all Lok Shiksha Kendras (1 in every panchayat) Daily electoral awareness training to community Dedicated Voter Literacy Centres Rallies 2 times / week covering all booths to create absolute mobilization (Tuesday & Saturday Various cultural & sports competitions Mobilization through Rallies & Competitions Lok Shiksha Kendras of all panchayats Internet enabled facilitation at CSCs in all panchayats Facilitation also through District toll-free helpline 2 Voter Facilitation Centres in all Panchayats (Internet enabled) Special voter registration camps at sites of all awareness events Convergence of Voter Facilitation with all Awareness Events Absolute penetration for the first time Mass involvement and active participation *CSC – Common Service Centres / Vasudha Kendra which are internet enabled and present in most panchayats

A glimpse of some of the training material with calendar ‘Aapka Vote Aapka Bhavishyay’ slogan In addition detailed awareness training on what initiatives to do for the following was given to all panchayat teams : Voter Literacy Centres Initial Rallies Tuesday, Satuday events Special Discussions Critical Booths A glimpse of some of the training material with calendar ‘Aapka Vote Aapka Bhavishyay’ slogan In addition detailed awareness training on what initiatives to do for the following was given to all panchayat teams : Voter Literacy Centres Initial Rallies Tuesday, Satuday events Special Discussions Critical Booths

Special Focus on training to panchayat SVEEP teams for Improving Facilitation: 1.All Channels for Voter Registration/Modifications 2. All Channels to Check name in Voter List 3. More Camps even after 9 th March ECI mandated camp announced 4. Understanding of Voter Challenges in Critical / Low voter turnout booths. Special Focus on training to panchayat SVEEP teams for Improving Facilitation: 1.All Channels for Voter Registration/Modifications 2. All Channels to Check name in Voter List 3. More Camps even after 9 th March ECI mandated camp announced 4. Understanding of Voter Challenges in Critical / Low voter turnout booths.

Training for SVEEP teams Opening of Voter Awareness Centres Literacy events at the centres Uniform for preraks

Rallies in all panchayats Intrernet enabled voter facilitation at CSCs Singing, painting competitions

Youth, Women & Farmers Special women outreach events with ICON Celebrity Ratan Rajput Majority women representation in all Panchayat SVEEP teams Rallies & voter literacy events in all Women SHGs & Anganwadi Mata Samitis Voter awareness convergence with pulse polio door to door campaign Voter registration camps in all Women VOs of SHGs Special movie screening & EVM mock-polls in Women VOs Women 100% college voter registration camps Month long youth voter festival in all colleges Competitions such as speech, skits, painting etc. Active mobilization of campus ambassadors for community involvement Various sports events such as football Youth Special voter registration camps at Kisaan Pathshaalas Convergence of SRI training with Voter awareness Farmers Segmented focus where energy groups Excellent reciprocation

Interaction with ICON Women SHG rallies

Female youth motivation by DM Literacy and EVM workshops with SHGs Convergence with pulse polio

Mock youth fest Sports youth fest Special incentives by college for first time voters

Convergence with farmer training

Critical Regions & Gaps Boycott (19 booths), Low-turnout (193 booths), Remote (198 booths), Vulnerable, (133 booths) Naxal (189 booths) Booths that are… Visit by District Administration to booths for confidence building Community awareness groups formation Nukkad Nataks by Kala Jhatha & EVM mock-polls Special extra initiatives in addition to Panchayat SVEEP teams Interactive sessions with BLOs, village teams & community Customized action taken based on individual cases (*e.g. many booths people didn’t vote because of ‘perceived lack of development’ – so in such cases – special literacy sessions on ‘role of individual & various levels of government in democracy, importance of participating by voting & other means was done Special workshop to understand individual cases & develop solutions Proper homework by identifying our weak areas

Nukkad Natak and EVM Mock poll at various locations

Regular visits by district administration

Facilitation on Day of Elections Basic minimum facilities & communication ensured at all 1999 booths Booths where > 1,200 voters petromax lighting facility in addition to electricity connection Medical kit at all booths Voter assistance centres at all booths Cooks from MDM offered paid food servicesSeating & priority voting for old-aged/disabled/pregnant women Various helpful displays / posters Other highlights: Live webcasting Filtered RO water & sherbet refreshments Special decoration for celebration atmosphere Uniform for all staff Model Booths Festival like celebration Strong peoples’ participation

Constant press notes during Photo voter slip distribution Constant press notes on use of photo voter slip Result of successful distribution and communication – 28% people voted with photo voter slip as proof

Decoration, separate queuing, helpdesk, medical team at model booth

Communication Strong positive communication to community about good initiatives – daily 5 press notes Daily intensive press briefings with important messages At key locations to create buzz and serve as reminder Countdown Clock Some from department, some created from various community competitions More 200 posters in every panchayat Awareness about good initiatives Monitoring of work done in rural areas (partners had to upload directly on facebook) One of the best performing FB page in rural India (more than 1 lakh views, 1000 likes and 1000 posts) Innovative use of Facebook for dual purpose More than 12,000 staff and village SVEEP teams daily communication More than 1.5 Lakhs community daily motivational/awareness/information SMS Strong, continuous use of Bulk SMS to create awareness Make presence felt – fully positive & instilling sense of confidence Talk of the Town!

Daily press briefings Facebook & Bulk SMS Countdown Clock Posters in Panchayats Hot Air Balloon

Example of Multi-party Co-ordination & Fund Dovetailing District SVEEP Cell, Election Office ROLE : Central Unit planning, coordinating & monitoring all activities FUNDS: Logistics & Publications Sakshar Bharat ROLE: Mobilize GP level, voter facilitation at GP, organize EVM mock-polls FUNDS: Printing GP level material, funding nukkad natak Urban Development ROLE: Implement all urban mass events FUNDS: Print publicity in urban areas District Healthy Society ROLE: Mobilize GP level, Converge with Pulse Polio FUNDS: IEC funds of NHM for Pulse Polio convergence

Similarly daily coordination & fund dovetailing with more than 34 organizations Election Office, SVEEP Celll SP OfficeDDC Office ECI's Awareness Observer Public Relations Dept. District Rural Development Agency Sakshar Bharat (Adult Literacy) Dept. District Health Society ICDS Department Rural Livelihoods Mission (Jeevika) Department Urban Development Department Education Department All Public Colleges Public Library Block Offices & Booth Level Officers Public Health Engineering Dept. (PHED) Agriculture Department Narkatiaganj Railway Office District Industries Centre Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) PDS Shops NCC All Private Colleges All Banks CSCs (Internet enabled Common Service Centres) MEDIA Organizations Public Library in partnership with DEF - Gates Library Project Local Sports associations Sudha Milk Dairy PCAMA (Private Doctors Medical Association) District BAR Association Innovative Thinking Involving all stakeholders, making best use of resources & managing multi- party coordination

The Results

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