Army sends 10 choppers for election in Bastar

Jagdalpur, Nov 7 (UNI) The Election Commission has approved providing ten helicopters of the Indian Air Force to ensure free and fair polling and facilitate movement of polling parties in far-flung area of naxalite-affected Bastar.

These include eight MI-17 aircraft and two Chetak helicopters.

The helicopters would be controlled from the divisional headquarters. Polling parties would be ferried to more than 100 polling centres in Bijapur, Kanker and Dantewara districts in these helicopters.

Although the administration had requisitioned 12 helicopters, the EC approved 10 helicopters.

Divisional Commissioner R S Vishwakarma said police department had one helicopter at present. Two helicopters each would be sent to Dantewara, Bijapur, Kankar and one to Narayanpur.

UNI XC-PS SV BD1440