District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh interacts with a visitor at his janata darbar in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Jan. 5: The district administration would start a campaign in girls’ colleges from next week to create awareness on the importance of voting.

The initiative is being taken in the wake of National Voters’ Day on January 25. Last year, the Election Commission of India fixed January 25 to mark its founda- tion day.

District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh today said the percentage of girls participating in the electoral process is far less compared to boys.

Having realised this, Singh decided to make girls aware of the democratic process.

The campaign was conducted last year, too, but did not prove to be fruitful.

The drive would also emphasise on the message that women should participate in the electoral process as eagerly as men do.

“The young voters, especially girls, need to be more politically and democratically aware. They must understand the importance of right to vote. Electoral photo identity cards among girls are very less compared to that among boys. Through this campaign, our motive would be to make them realise their constitutional rights,” said the district magistrate.

He added: “From next week, the campaign would start in institutions like JD Women’s College, Patna Women’s College, Magadh Mahila College and other women colleges. Seminars and workshops would be organised in all the colleges for women. It would continue for at least a week.”

On the kind of issue, which would be discussed during the seminars and workshops, the district magistrate said: “The young voters will be taught about the importance and role of elections. Apart from the first-time voters, the drive would also benefit those girls who have not enrolled their names in the voters’ list.”

He added: “We will also try to motivate the parents of girls to make their children aware about exercising their electoral rights.”

Singh said the district administration officials would not only motivate the girls to get their names registered in the voting list but they would also teach them how to fill up the voter iden-tity forms.

Asked about the reason behind less number of girls participating in the electoral process, Singh said: “There are several reasons. There could be gender- related issues and even parents not encouraging a girl child to be more politically and democratically aware. We will execute several other practices like inviting young leaders for lectures on the importance of a voter ID card. Our motive would be to enrol their names in the voters’ list.”

He added: “The drive does not intend to neglect boys in a broader sense. People should come forward in getting their names registered in the voters’ list as right to vote is important in a democratic set-up.”