Dutee Chand among 6 celebrities to encourage voters to exercise their right in polls

To spread awareness among voters for the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has shortlisted names of six celebrities for the state-level Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) committee. The personalities to be appointed as State Icons are sprinter Dutee Chand, para-athlete Jayanti Behera, para shuttler Pramod Bhagat, singer Rituraj Mohanty and cine artistes Sivani Sangita and Swaraj.

The State Icons will be involved in awareness programmes to encourage young and new voters to exercise their franchise in the elections, Odisha CEO Surendra Kumar said. Kumar has sent the list to the Election Commission of India for approval.

The Election Commission has asked the CEO to form SVEEP committees at district levels as well as in 2,908 schools and 665 colleges across the state. It has also set up 21,365 Chunav Pathshalas to educate people about the functioning of VVPATs and EVMs, Kumar said.

Television programmes and radio jingles in Desia, Sambalpuri and Santali languages will be aired to create awareness among voters. Folk dances will also be performed to motivate people for exercising their democratic right.

(With inputs from agencies.)