Thiruvananthapuram, March 21 (PTI) The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Kerala has come out with a handbook on the green protocol to be followed strictly by campaigners and election officials during the Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul released the handbook by handing the first copy to Suchitwa Mission Executive Director U V Jose here on Wednesday evening.
Additional Chief Electoral Officers Dr Adeela Abdullah, Sharmila C and Premkumar V R were also present, according to an official release here on Thursday.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Green Protocol Compliance Doubts and Answers was prepared in collaboration with the Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission.
It guides stakeholders on using eco-friendly materials during the electioneering to minimise generation of polluting garbage.
Significantly, the elections are being held when the state government is pressing ahead with a massive 'Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam (Garbage-Free New Kerala)' campaign and a slew of other big-ticket schemes like the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWM).
The Election Commission of India has also issued instructions to use only nature-friendly materials for election-related activities.
According to the handbook, flex boards, plastic flag poles, polyester cloth and similar polluting substances should be strictly avoided. Propaganda boards and banners should be made of cotton and paper, the release said.
Natural materials like panampaya (palm leaf mats), pulpaya (grass mats), palm leaves, reeds, bamboo and areca nut leaves should be used. Similarly, eco-friendly materials should be used to decorate election offices of political parties.
The District Election Officer will take legal action if prohibited materials are found to be used, the release said.
The campaigners should explore the possibilities of digital technology, which will reduce use of non-degradable campaign materials significantly.
It is also suggested that flower garlands, cotton shawls, books, and fruit baskets be given as gifts at receptions to candidates.
Polling officials should take care to avoid plastic items while setting up the polling booths.
The handbook even goes as far as mandating that polling officials and agents should use steel plates and glasses instead of plastic products while consuming food and water. Eco-friendly plates and glasses should be kept at polling stations, according to the release.
The district administration should ensure that the voter slips are not left around the booths but delivered to the collection centres or handed over to scrap dealers.
After the elections, the local self-government bodies, political parties, the Haritha Keralam Mission, Suchitwa Mission and other voluntary organisations should remove the materials used for election campaigns and carry out cleaning activities, the release said.
The Suchitwa Mission and various departments should take necessary steps based on the protocol, and the district election officers should be empowered to enforce it, the release added.