Gov proposes voter-id card for youths soon after they turn 18

Mumbai, Apr 25: Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today asked the State Election Commission to explore the idea of presenting voter identity cards to youngsters soon after their 18th birthday. "Youth in India are eager to cast their votes in elections and play their part in the democracy.

We should thus explore the idea of presenting voter identity cards soon after their eighteenth birthday," Rao said.

He was speaking to Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra and other officials of the State Election Commission (SEC) at Raj Bhavan. The governor also released the first newsletter of the SEC 'Nivadnuk Varta' on the occasion.

Appealing to launch a well-publicised special drive for the youths' enrolment as voters, Rao said that no valid voter should be turned away from the election booth.

Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner J S Saharia told the Governor that the poll watchdog has taken various steps to control money power during elections.

With elections to 10 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Solapur, 200 municipal councils and 26 zilla parishads scheduled to be held from October this year, Saharia said,"Maharashtra will be in election mode for nearly six months".

PTI