By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 25 Jan: Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) participated as the Chief Guest at the 14th ‘National Voters Day 2024’ event organised by the Uttarakhand State Election Commission at Gandhi Park, here, today. During the event, he extended heartfelt wishes for ‘National Voters Day’ to all present and inaugurated the calendar and coffee table book for the year 2024, created by the Election Commission of India.
The Governor felicitated Padma Shri awardees Kalyan Singh Rawat, Madhuri Badhwar, Basanti Bisht, and mountaineer Tashi Malik. He also presented the first voter ID cards to young voters.
In order to emphasise the importance of voting, NCC, NSS, and students from various schools presented cultural programmes during the event. Awareness campaigns, including essay writing, art, and slogan competitions, were conducted at the tehsil level in all schools by district election officials as part of the awareness drive in Uttarakhand. The Governor felicitated the winners of these competitions.
The Governor emphasised the significance of voting, urging everyone present to take an oath for the successful conduct of elections. He encouraged the youth by participating in the ongoing signature campaign at the event venue, promoting enthusiasm for voting.
The Governor stated that voting is the greatest contribution to democracy, emphasising the need for everyone to ensure their rights through active participation in the electoral process. He praised the Election Commission of India for consistently conducting free and impartial elections in the world’s largest democratic country.
He appealed to the youth to vote with integrity and fearlessness, highlighting the importance of contributing to democracy without any bias for the establishment of good governance. He expressed gratitude to the state’s elderly voters, emphasising the need for everyone’s support to maintain the dignity of Uttarakhand.
The Governor acknowledged the active participation of approximately 1,000 voters aged 100 or more in Uttarakhand, expressing confidence in the continued support for the state’s pride in the future. He applauded the nearly 100 booths entirely operated by women, reflecting the state’s gratitude and dedication to women empowerment.
He stressed that every citizen has the right to choose their government, praising it as the beauty of the country’s democracy.
The programme featured stalls and exhibitions put up by election officials from every district in Uttarakhand to increase enthusiasm and awareness among voters.
The event included the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Chandrashekhar Bhatt, Secretary Dilip Javalakar, Chief Electoral Officer Dr V Shanmugam, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Jogdande, and other officials.
