IAF helicopters to airlift poll officials and material in J

Srinagar, Nov 17 (UNI) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed number of helicopters for transportation of polling staff, Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and security personnel for smooth conduct of Assembly elections in the Jammu and Kashmir.

An elaborate plan has been made by HQ AOC Jammu and Kashmir for the seven phases of the election from November 17 to December 24, 2008.

According the Wing Commander Hari Krishan IAF Nodal Officer for elections, IAF deployed four helicopters on November 15 and 16 for the Gurez constituency and moved 232 polling staff and security personnel to various polling stations in a major operation.

The IAF pilots have flown all the personnel to their respective polling stations despite unexpected bad weather and heavy snow fall in the respective areas.

He said IAF helicopters airlifted polling staff, EVM machines and security personnel to remote areas of the Zanskar and Leh constituency also during the past couple of days. For the first Phase of polling today, the IAF is also assisting in a detailed contingency plan for any kind of eventuality by deploying helicopters to Poonch, Bandipora, Leh, Kargil and Srinagar.

In addition, IAF helicopters will also be carrying media personnel to cover the whole election process, including the polling on November 17 in Poonch, Leh, Kargil and Gurez constituencies.

UNI BAS SB VP0914