Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Apr 20: The employees, who were deployed on election duty in far flung areas of Kishtwar district today protested in front of ITI Kishtwar against the failure of administration to provide helicopter for return of their colleagues who were on election duty at Madwa- Dachhan.
They protested for two and half hours at Kishtwar demanding that helicopter service be provided to the stranded employees at Dachhan immediately for carrying them to their destinations.
They also protested against the police lathicharge on these employees at Dachhan today when they protested against the administration for not providing the copter service to them today.
The protestors said that on April 11 these employees were taken into helicopters to far flung areas of Kishtwar district for election duty which included Madwa Dachhan and Wadwan. They said that these employees were told that the administration had made all boarding and lodging arrangements for them there. After reaching there they were put to many hardships as there was no arrangement for their boarding and lodging. The protestors said that these employees virtually begged before the local people to provide them food and shelter during these days and when the helicopter reached Kishtwar today the authorities did not allow the employees to board it and asked them that copter will only take EVMs and the employees should return by foot.
This evoked a protest by the employee at Dachan but the police resorted to lathicharage. When the employees later protested at Kishtwar the administration sent a helicopter for bringing the employees from Dachhan.
However the employees who had left by foot from Dachhan for district headquarters after reaching Kishtwar also held a demonstration there later which continued late up to the evening.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, who is also District Election Officer said that 37 EVMs alongwith polling staff and security personnel were airlifted from Warwan, Marwah and Dachhan through Mi 17 sorties in which three Mi 17 were pressed into service for airlifting the polling staff and EVMs for the whole day.
He said the Air Force authorities were again requested through Divisional Commissioner Jammu to airlift the remaining staff through air sorties tomorrow in case of clear weather.
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