Bhubaneswar, January 22: The 16th National Voters' Day was observed today at Lok Seva Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. Odisha's Chief Secretary, Anu Garg, led the pledge ceremony, where various officers and staff members from different departments of the Chief Secretariat participated.

National Voters' Day is traditionally celebrated on January 25 each year across the country. This year, however, the celebration was held today, as January 25 fell on a Sunday, and the preceding days, January 23 and 24, were public holidays. As per the directive of the Election Commission of India, the observance was coordinated by the General Administration and Public Grievances Department to mark National Voters' Day today.

The theme for this year’s observance is "My India, My Vote." It emphasized the importance of maintaining full faith in India's democracy and respecting its democratic traditions. The pledge also highlighted the importance of free, fair, and peaceful elections, urging citizens to be vigilant and unaffected by caste, creed, language, or any other form of temptation, and to exercise their right to vote with dignity.

During the event, Garg administered the pledge to all attendees, including senior officers from the Development Commission, the Additional Chief Secretary Deoraj Kumar Singh, and all other officers and staff of the General Administration and Public Grievances, Planning and Coordination Departments.

The pledge was also administered at other offices of Lok Seva Bhavan and Kharavela Bhavan.