SGPC polls: Jalandhar admn starts 15-day special campaign to enrol voters

Jalandhar, January 11

Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal on Wednesday said the district administration had started a 15-day special drive for the registration of voters for Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) polls.

Under the drive, special camps would be organised in all gurdwaras of the district on January 14 and 17 for the enrolment of voters in maximum numbers for the SGPC elections.

Chairing a meeting with officials and representatives of Sikh organisations at the District Administrative Complex, the DC said the Maghi festival and Parkash Purab of Guru Gobind Singh falls on January 14 and 17, respectively. He said devotees pay obeisance in huge numbers at gurdwaras on these days.

He said patwaris would remain present in all gurdwaras and collect the voter registration forms. He said patwaris would take enrollment forms individually from each person. The DC said patwaris had been instructed not to collect forms in bulk. He said forms would be made available to devotees and can also be downloaded from the administration’s portal jalandhar.nic.in.

Sarangal told Block Development and Panchayats Officers (BDPOs) to ensure public announcements in all villages of the district so that a maximum number of people could register as voters for the SGPC elections.

He also sought support from representatives of Sikh organisations in sensitisation of the people regarding registration as voters. He said all SDMs and other senior officers must supervise the enrolment exercise so that voter registration can be encouraged.

It may be mentioned here that a person had to be a keshdhari Sikh for enrolment as voter. Those who trim or shave beard, smoke, or drink alcohol cannot register themselves as a voter. Prominent amongst those present at the meeting included ADC (G) Dr Amit Mahajan, SDMs Dr Jai Inder Singh, Balbir Raj Singh, Rishabh Bansal, Gursimran Singh Dhillon and Amanpal Singh and other officials.