To ensure hassle free movement in emergency situation, Tripura government has decided to hire an air ambulance besides, stand by service of double engine Pawan Hans helicopters to ferry officials and security personnel during assembly elections slated for Feb 18 next.

The transport department officials here today said that the government invited tender from the reputed aviation companies of the country operating air ambulance services for the purpose following direction of the election commission of India (ECI). The officials said ECI had directed election-bound Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland states to keep ready air ambulances for emergencies during assembly polls considering the difficulties of surface transport movement from district towns.

Tripura has subsidized chopper service operation by Pawan Hans, which has been used for emergency movement of VIPs and officials of the state. Northeast Council (NEC) has been funding for passenger movement in short distance within the state but it is being used mostly by the ministers, officers and the political leaders. “We have ensured the stand by service of choppers during election and air ambulance will also brought for service to manage any emergency situation,” the officials said adding that tender process will be completed by this week and immediately after finalization of the contract air ambulance will be pressed into action.

The air ambulance service will prioritize the movement of security forces during the entire process of election followed by ferrying poll personnel and evacuation purposes in any eventuality. The department has also formed a separate management unit to operate air ambulance during the emergency. The state administration has also issued requisition of vehicles from private operators and owners for mobilizing them in the election purposes. According to report, besides, 5600 government vehicles, the administration intend to hire another 10000 vehicles for the election purposes while another 2300 vehicles will be kept in reserve to pull any emergency situation.

The state police has also mobilized it’s entire transport system for local movement of security forces. Each of the police stations were provided sufficient vehicles while authorized the local officials to hire vehicles as and when required. The special contingency fund allocation has been made to state police for election purposes, election officials stated. About 30,000 security forces including state police and jawans of reserved battalions would be deployed to conduct free and fair election and most of them have already reached the state. They were deployed in all constituencies and patrolling in the localities as confidence building measure.

More than 10000 civil officials are scheduled to be employed in the election process of Tripura along with 25 general observers, 19 expenditure observers and 8 police observers and all of them would be resuming duty by Jan 30 next. More than 3000 central government employees would be deployed for micro observer duty at booth level, the officials added.