Polling staff, police personnel airlifted to snow-bound areas of Kishtwar in J&K

Jammu, Apr 13: The first batch of 189 poll officials and 69 police staff were airlifted from the district headquarters in Jammu to the snow-bound areas of Marwah and Warwan in J&K's Kishtwar district, an official statement said on Friday.

Marwah, Warwan, and Machail are the remotest areas in Kishtwar district, which remain cut off for 3-4 months during the winters. There are 34 polling stations in these areas.

"Preparations are in full swing with elaborate security measures in place, including the deployment of Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopters for the transportation of polling officers and the establishment of helipads," the statement said.

"The airlifting operation being conducted by three IAF helicopters is a collaborative effort between the Election Commission of India and the Indian Air Force," it added.

On Thursday, 188 security personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and J&K Police (JKP) were dispatched to the district

"The dispatch of polling staff will continue in a phased manner, prioritising the far-flung areas like Marwah, Warwan, Machail, etc.," the statement said.

Kishtwar falls under the Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to the polls on April 19 with 12 candidates in the fray.