Imphal: The 13th National Voters’ Day was observed Wednesday under the theme ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure” at the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy, here. The Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur organised the event.
Chief Secretary Dr. Rajesh Kumar, IAS, and Director General of Police (DGP), P. Doungel, IPS, attended the function as chief guest and guest of honor, respectively.
Speaking on the occasion as Chief Guest, Dr. Rajesh Kumar congratulated the awardees and said that Manipur has witnessed the most peaceful election held in the past and that there has been a complete change.
He said that we have election observers from income tax and customs for the smooth conduct of elections. Further, he said that from booth level officers to the Chief Electoral Officer, there had been outstanding performance in the peaceful conduct of elections in the past. He appealed to the young new voters to be alert, know the value of voting, and come out and participate in the elections, including the local body and district council elections, without fear for the future. Chief Guest also administered the oath of the National Voters’ Day pledge.
Doungel, the DGP, Manipur, and Chief Electoral Officer N. Prabin Naorem Singh also spoke during the celebration.
An ECI song, “Main Bharat Hoon—Hum Bharat Ke Matdata Hain,” produced by ECI in association with the Subhash Ghai Foundation and the address of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar were screened during the function, which was followed by the presentation of EPIC cards and badges to the newly enrolled voters and felicitation of the state icons by the chief guest.
Appreciation Certificates and Best Electoral Practices Awards for the year 2022-2023 were conferred to District Election Officers, Superintendents of Police, Electoral Registration Officers, Returning Officers, Special Summary Revision of Electoral Roll Officers, and Aadhaar Linkage Officers for their exemplary performance in various spheres, including Election Management, Security Management, etc., in the State Assembly Election. To commemorate the occasion, special case awards were given to the Deputy Commissioners of Bishnupur and Thoubal districts for their outstanding performance in the electoral process.
National Voters’ Day is observed to promote and encourage the youth to participate in voter registration, especially among new or first-time voters. The day has been celebrated since 2011 across the country to mark the foundation of the Election Commission of India, i.e., January 25, 1950.
It may be mentioned that the commemoration of “National Voters’ Day” was started in 2011 by Pratibha Patil, who was the President of India at the time, on the 61st anniversary of the founding of the Election Commission of India.
