Due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Friday, schools and colleges in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, which encompasses Noida and Greater Noida, will be closed. The district administration has confirmed that educational institutions will be shut on Friday but will reopen on Saturday. To ensure that workers can exercise their fundamental right to vote, the district administration has instructed factories and industries to declare a paid holiday on Friday, April 26. The directive was prompted by feedback from workers who expressed concerns about being unable to vote due to work schedules. District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma stated, “Factories and industries have also been directed to grant their workers a paid holiday on Friday so that they can cast their votes. Given the feedback that some workers are unable to vote due to work constraints, this decision has been made.”
The district administration has also encouraged residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and apartment owners’ associations (AOAs) to promote voter participation among residents. RWAs and AOAs that demonstrate improved voter turnout will be recognized and receive appreciation. “We will also distribute commendation certificates to RWAs and AOAs that demonstrate an improvement in voter turnout this time,” Verma added.
Gautam Buddh Nagar is one of 89 constituencies scheduled to vote on April 26 during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Despite being a hub for offices and residential areas, the district has a history of low voter turnout. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded a voter turnout of 60.47%, while in 2014 and 2009, the turnout was 60.38% and 48%, respectively.
