Location: As Arunachal Pradesh gears up for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the state has initiated a remarkable logistical feat to ensure democratic participation in its remote regions. The first batch of 40 election officials, including police personnel, has been airlifted to four remote polling stations in the Kra Daadi district.
Situated in the Pip-Sorang Circle and bordering China, these polling stations posed a unique challenge due to their inaccessible roadways. To address this hurdle, an airlift operation was conducted in two sorties by an MI-172 chopper operated by Skyone Airways. This operation facilitated the transportation of officials along with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) to the designated polling stations.
Toko Babu, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), confirmed the successful airlift operation. He mentioned that similar operations would be conducted as per the requirements of respective District Electoral Officers (DEOs) across the state, underscoring the state’s commitment to ensuring democratic participation in all regions.
The airlifted officials will be stationed at Tali, the ADC headquarters, from where they will embark on a foot march to reach the designated polling stations in the Pip-Sorang Circle.