Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In another innovative measure aimed at boosting polling percentage in the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Bhopal, eco-friendly cloth bags will be distributed to shoppers in major markets in the city. Also, restaurants and other establishments have been requested to affix seals appealing to people to cast vote on bills issued to customers.

Posters listing why voting was important have been stuck at entry points of restaurants, hotels, departmental stores and malls.  The initiatives have been taken under Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) for the first time. The district election office has issued order for one lakh bags made of cloth. The 11-inch by 13-inch bags can hold 5 kg of vegetables and groceries. 

Text printed in bold on both sides of the bags will remind people that they should cast their vote on May 7, when Bhopal constituency will go to polls. Bags will carry slogan, Loktantra ka Parv, Matdan Hamara Farz Hai, while mentioning the polling date.  

SVEEP icons, volunteers and campus ambassadors will visit Bittan Market, New Market,  Royal Market, Bairagarh, Piplani, vegetable mandi with the bags and will gift them to buyers who have not brought cloth bags with them. 

Assistant nodal officer, SVEEP, Ritesh Sharma said, “These bags will hang in houses of people, reminding them everyday, that they have to exercise their franchise. Bags will be delivered by Monday or Tuesday and a function to formally launch them is expected on Wednesday.”    

Besides, owners of restaurants and other business establishments have been told to use a seal mentioning the date of voting and appealing to people to cast vote on printed or hand-made bills before issuing to them to their customers.