First-time voters in the 18-20 age group and senior citizens above 75 years in Wayanad district returned home with a tree sapling and a letter of compliment from the District Collector after casting their votes in the Assembly elections on Monday. The Wayanad district administration has launched the innovative programme 'Orma Maram' to sensitise first-time voters on the importance of exercising their franchise in a democratic set-up and conserving plants.
The project is being implemented as part of the Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation programme initiative and ‘A vote for democracy and a vote for environment’ is the slogan of the programme.
Free saplings
“We had provided nearly 20,000 free saplings to first-time voters alone to plant the saplings in their households in memory of casting their first vote,” Collector and District Election Officer Kesavendrakumar told The Hindu . Saplings were also disbursed to senior citizens above 75 years and officials designated for polling duties, Mr. Kesavendrakumar said.
They were also presented a complement letter along with the saplings for their active participation in strengthening the democratic system of the country. Close to 70,000 saplings of plants such as mahogany, neem, gooseberry, custard apple, and pomegranate were distributed.
“The district administration is preparing to plant 10-lakh saplings of different species on World Environment Day on June 5 under the project,” Mr. Kesavendrakumar said. The saplings would be planted on open spaces and on the premises of government institutions, including schools.
The planted sapling would be protected with the active support of Kudumbasree members and workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said.
Moreover, the saplings would be freely disbursed to the public as part of setting up a green environment in the district, which has already been facing threat from the process of desertification, especially villages adjacent to Karnataka, Mr. Kesavendrakumar said.
