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CHANDIGARH/PATIALA, January 25:

The state level National Voter’s Day event was celebrated with great fanfare at the Punjabi University Patiala on Wednesday.

Divisional Commissioner Patiala Arun Shekhadi graced the event as the chief guest in the function, while, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Punjab Vipul Ujwal presided over the function. District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney welcomed the guests and shed light on the ongoing SVEEP activities of the district.

The function was commenced with a cycle rally led by paracyclist-cum-district SVEEP icon Jagwinder Singh in which Additional Chief Electoral Officer and Electoral Officer Punjab also participated along with hundreds of students and officials. The youth on Harley Davidson super-bikes added to the vibrancy of the event.

National/ international level archery players aimed at the target of “I will vote” to give the message of importance of voting.

 During the state-level function, the election officials were felicitated for their exemplary services during the Vidhan Sabha Elections 2022. The recipients included Director Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab Sonali Giri, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar Jaspreet Singh and Director Food and Civil Supplies Department Ghanshyam Thori, SSP Rupnagar Vivek Sheel Soni, State Icon PwD Voters Dr Kiran, Paracyclist-cum-District SVEEP Icon Jagwinder Singh, District Icons including Ujagar Singh Antal, Gurpreet Singh Namdhari and Jagdeep Singh, who is also a PwD Coordinator. In addition, Principal Dr Navneet Walia, District Nodal Officer SVEEP Patiala Gurbakshish Singh, and SVEEP Consultant Manpreet Singh Aneja were also felicitated for their contribution in SVEEP activities.

Meanwhile, SDM Nabha Damanjit Kaur, Nodal Officer Satbir Singh Gill, and Election Tehsildar Ramji Lal, and Election Officer Rajpura Satinder Kaur were also honored for best performance at the district level.

On this occasion, cultural programs were presented by children with special needs from Blind and Deaf School, Saifdipur, Patiala. The orchestra of folk instruments led by Vijay Yamla Jatt made everyone groove. A painting made by Gurpreet Singh Namdhari depicting the special app ‘Saksham-ECI’ created by the Election Commission of India for the disabled was released by the chief guest. Special needs student Lovepreet Singh participated in the event as Punjab Elections mascot ‘Shera’. National Anthem presented in sign language by children with special needs. State and District Disability Coordinators who volunteered their services in the elections were also felicitated.

The entire event was overseen by Additional District Election Officer-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Thind and Shri Gurbakshish Singh Antal, District SVEEP Nodal Officer.