KOZHIKODE: Thousands of voters in Wayanad received a seedling each in memory of registering their vote on Monday. All the voters in the 47 model polling stations and all the maiden voters, differently-abled and the aged over 75 years, received the saplings. In total as many as 71,500 seedlings were distributed.
Named ‘Orma Maram’, the project is being implemented as part of “Systematic Voter Education Programme” and the ‘Students Participation Programme’. Jimi and Sumi, two differently-abled sisters were very much happy when they received the seedlings for their maiden votes. Both of them reached the polling booth at Padichira near Pulppalli, Wayanad after travelling about 2 kilometers in wheelchair. “It is definitely a great attempt to create awareness on the need of nature conservation”, said Jimi John.
The seedlings include Mango, Rembuttan, Lichi and Gooseberry. For other voters seedlings would be distributed in June. The seedlings were grown in nurseries at Regional Agriculture Research Station, Ambalavayal and forest department.
District collector Kesavendra Kumar told DC that the move has been much appreciated by all. “Our target was to distribute 10 lakh seedlings. We would plant trees in the premises of the polling booths in memory of the voting and the remaining voters would receive seedlings on June 5”, he added.
