Election Commission Prepares Special Plan for Ballot Box Transport in Remote Areas Using Helicopters

Kathmandu. The Election Commission has prepared a special action plan for the transportation and collection of ballot boxes in remote and inaccessible areas for the upcoming elections. The Commission will use helicopters to transport election materials and personnel to geographically remote Himalayan and hilly districts, and to bring ballot boxes safely to the counting centers after voting.

According to Election Commission Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut, ballot papers, staff, and security personnel have already been transported via helicopter to 27 extremely remote locations in Humla and Dolpa districts before the voting day. This includes 23 polling centers in Dolpa and 4 in Humla. Secretary Raut informed that helicopters will also be used to collect ballot boxes from 61 remote locations across 15 different districts after voting is completed.

Ballot boxes will be collected via vehicles in accessible areas connected by road networks, excluding these 61 remote locations spanning from Taplejung to Darchula. To streamline and secure the transportation of ballot boxes, the Commission has already sent the necessary budget for transportation to the District Administration Offices of all 77 districts.

He stated, 'We sent ballot papers, ballot boxes, staff, and security personnel via helicopter to a total of 27 locations in Humla and Dolpa districts—23 in Dolpa and 4 in Humla. Furthermore, ballot boxes from 61 locations across 15 additional districts, from Taplejung to Darchula, will be collected by helicopter after voting. For collection via vehicles, the Election Commission has sent the transportation funds to all 77 District Administration Offices, and under the leadership of the Chief District Officer, they will prepare a transportation plan and bring the ballot boxes, including the ballot papers, to the counting centers in coordination with all security agencies. They will be brought to 165 counting centers.'

Secretary Raut mentioned that the transportation action plan is designed under the leadership of the respective Chief District Officer (CDO) in coordination with all security agencies.

The Commission stated that arrangements have been made to safely bring the ballot boxes collected from the polling centers to the 165 counting centers designated across the country according to this action plan.