With the objective of voter education, information and motivation, a two-day Uttarakhand State voter fest-2016 started at Gandhi Park here on Wednesday.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Jyoti and OP Rawat attended the festival and appreciated it thoroughly.
Speaking on the occasion, the CEC Zaidi said that the Uttarakhand is the first State in the country which has organised the voter festival. He said that voter awareness should be undertaken as a massive public campaign. Zaidi said that Uttarakhand is an abode of gods and the in accordance with the piousness of the land the people here should take pledge to participate in the process of voting to strengthen democracy in the country. He assured that the ensuing Assembly elections in the State would be conducted in a free and fair manner and every possible measure would be undertaken to ensure it. The CEC said that such festivals should be undertaken at district levels too.
Speaking on the occasion, the EC O P Rawat said that the presentation of specially able children in the festival was very good and the message of voter awareness given by these students should be spread across the country.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttarakhand, Radha Raturi said the festival was organised on the lines of National Voter festival organised in New Delhi recently. She said that though the festival was organised in haste with very less time for preparation the students, teachers and the officials of SIDCUl worked hard to make it a success. She said that her aim is to obtain 100 percent voter enrollment and at least 80 percent voter voter turn out in the ensuing assembly elections. Raturi said that the CEC and election commissioners would unveil a mobile application and three online computer applications in Dehradun on Thursday. These applications would ensure a single window system for all permissions concerning the electioneering, help in transport facilities during elections and monitoring of all grievances.
The chief guest and other dignitaries felicitated famous singer Jubin Nautiyal, long distance runner and Olympian Manish Rawat and acid attack victim Kavita Bisht. These three are state icons for youth and are engaged in promoting voter registration in the State.
In the festival the district election offices of all 13 districts of state participated. Model of election booth was also set on the occasion in which the entire mechanism of voting was explained.
The stalls of the National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH) and Aadhar registration counter generated a good response of the people.
One of the highlight of the programme was skit prepared by the students of NIVH, Raffel home, Sharpe memorial and Bajaj Institute. The rangoli made by students was also appreciated by all. The youngster appeared enthusiastic in the festival and looked eager to vote. Purnima Khatri, a class XII student of Nari Shilp School Tagore villa said that she is very existed at the prospect of voting for the first time.