Some of the polling teams on Monday left by helicopter in the heavily insurgency-infested Gariaband district for polling centers located at Odh and Amamora regions , officials informed.

A total of 14 teams alongwith Security Officer, Micro Observer and the polling team members boarded the helicopter at 9.15 am from Police Parade Ground at the Gariaband district headquarters.

In both the aforesaid insurgency-infested polling centers , polling will be held from 7 am to 3 pm while in rest of the polling centers in the district, polling will be held from 8 am to 5 pm.

Moreover, the district administration had also made arrangements for wheel chairs for the differently abled voters who will be arriving at the various polling centers. The teams of NCC cadets and NSS volunteers will be assisting the differently abled voters at the polling centers.

Strict vigil is being maintained in the polling centers adjoining districts in Odisha, officials informed.

Notably, it may be recalled Choppers had been used also in the first phase of polls in Bastar where polling teams deployed in 22 hyper sensitive polling booths in extreme Naxal-hit heavily forested and hillock areas under Narayanpur assembly seat during the first phase of polls were brought back safely to district headquarters by choppers after polling ended at 3 p.m. on November 12.

These 22 polling booths were situated in Akabeda, Nednar and Orchha blocks. The district administration heaved a sigh of relief when all the polling teams returned safely after successfully conducting polling.

The EVMs and VVPATs were thereafter safely taken to the strong room situated in Atmanand Mahavidyalaya of the district headquarters.