In a first, workers engaged in the work of road construction on the India-China border will be brought to the polling stations by helicopter to cast their votes for the assembly elections slated to be held in Uttarakhand this year, a Borders Road Organization (BRO) official said on Wednesday.
The BRO has taken this decision in the wake of heavy snowfall.
BRO Deputy Commanding Officer K Silva toldtoday, "We have decided to provide helicopter facility for people working at high altitude areas for voting. Till now there are 100 such people, as per our record, who will be given this facility. If there are more people, then they will also be given this facility."
A large number of workers are engaged in the construction of a road connecting the China border to Milam-Laspa at an altitude of 3400 meters in Munsyari of Pithoragarh district. Munsyari village in Pithoragarh and its surrounding areas have received snowfall up to six feet, the regional meteorological department said today morning.
Polling for Uttarakhand Assembly Election will take place in a single phase on February 14. The results will be declared on March 10.
In the 2017 assembly elections, BJP won 57 out of 70 seats in the state. After the elections, Trivendra Singh Rawat was sworn in as the Chief Minister. The BJP has changed its chief minister twice over the last year in the state.
Trivendra Singh Rawat made way for Tirath Singh Rawat, MP, in March last year. Amid the possibility of bypoll not being held in six months for him to be elected to the state assembly, Tirath Singh Rawat resigned and Pushkar Singh Dhami took oath as Chief Minister.
In view of the rising COVID-19 cases, the Uttarakhand government has prohibited all political rallies and protests in the state until January 16.
( With inputs from ANI )
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