Admin acts to enrol youth in voters’ list

JAGATSINGHPUR:  With  many instances of non-enrolment of eligible first time voters coming to the fore, the district administration has launched a special drive to ensure inclusion of the youngsters in the voters’ list.The administration’s move comes on the back of the TNIE report (Enrolment hassles upset youths in Jagatsinghpur) highlighting the omission of youngsters from the electoral rolls.

The move has brought cheer to a 20-year-old Dalit Plus-Three student  Harichandan Mallick of Patana under Jagatsinghpur Assembly constituency. Harichandan’s plight was highlighted in the report following which the district administration has ordered the Block Development Officer, Jagatsinghpur and Executive Officer of Sanpur panchayat to take immediate steps for enrolling his name in the voters’ list. The formalities for enrolling him as a voter has been started by the officials concerned. 

Harichandan said he is proud to participate in the democratic exercise. “As a first time voter, I am overwhelmed by the sense of being a citizen of this nation,” he said. His father Ashok  Mallick though said the names of his three other children has not yet been included in the voters’ list. He said only Harichandan’s name has been included in the voters’ list while the names of his other son, Sanatan Mallick and daughter in-law, are yet to find mention in the list. 

However, several booth level officers, including Anganwadi workers, said many young voters, especially girls aged between 18 and 19, are not interested to include their names in the voters’ list as it would reveal their age and hamper their marriage prospects.

Young voters in the district have a strong stand on corruption and are seeking creation of new jobs, reducing red tape and effective administration from their elected representatives. A first time voter, Manoj Kumar Sahoo, who holds a degree in electrical engineering, said there are lots of industries in Paradip but no steps have been taken to open an engineering college in the area as a result of which youngsters are forced to move out for pursuing their studies.  Meanwhile, BDO of Jagatsinghpur Laganjit Rout said the  district administration has been taking steps and conducting awareness programmes in colleges and panchayats to increase enrolment of young voters.