Commissioner/Secretary of various departments including Planning Development & Monitoring, Agriculture & Horticulture, Animal/Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries, Dr. Lalthinkhuma Franklin, along with Chief Electoral Officer of UT Ladakh, Yatindra M. Maralkar, participated in the concluding festival celebrating the apricot blossom at Saspol Village.
The festival, organized by the Tourism Department in collaboration with the villagers of Saspol, showcased a vibrant display of cultural performances and dances by local cultural troupes and talented students from the Higher Secondary School in Saspol. Nambardar Tsewang Norboo extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries with traditional scarfs (Khataks), expressing gratitude to the Tourism Department for hosting the festival in Saspol. Esteemed officers and officials from the tourism and horticulture departments also graced the event with enthusiasm.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, the SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) team from Leh, led by SVEEP State Nodal Officer Dr. Tsewang Morup, conducted an engaging awareness campaign highlighting the importance of voting in a democracy. SVEEP awareness materials, including t-shirts and keychains, were distributed to dignitaries and participants. State SVEEP Icon Phunchok Ladakhi performed melodious songs promoting voter awareness and urged everyone to fulfill their democratic duty by casting their votes on May 20, 2024.
Chief Electoral Officer Yatindra M. Maralkar emphasized the significance of voting, highlighting the Election Commission of India’s efforts to simplify the electoral process through user-friendly apps like Saksham ECI, designed to assist elderly and disabled voters, the cVigil App for reporting model code of conduct violations, and the KYC App for accessing information on candidates’ criminal records. He encouraged the public to utilize these resources available on the ECI website.
The festival concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks from the Assistant Director of Tourism, encouraging all attendees to actively participate in the upcoming elections and exercise their right to vote on May 20, 2024, ensuring a vibrant and robust democratic process in UT Ladakh.