Patna: The Bihar government is preparing to deploy air ambulances and helicopter services during all phases of the upcoming assembly elections, with a focus on ensuring rapid medical response and the smooth transportation of polling staff and materials to remote areas.
Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena has directed concerned departments to begin tendering and operational processes by July—well ahead of the expected election announcement. The move is aimed at strengthening election logistics and emergency response in regions prone to violence or natural barriers.
The Health Department will oversee the arrangement of air ambulances through the State Health Committee. Proposals will be invited from certified service providers, and the deployment will be timed around polling days to allow immediate evacuation in the event of bombings, landmine explosions, or other emergencies.
Simultaneously, the Cabinet Coordination Department will handle helicopter-based air-dropping services for the transport of polling personnel and election materials to otherwise inaccessible terrain. This effort will involve a detailed mapping of all airports and helipads across the state, including the recording of GPS coordinates to facilitate fast and precise deployment.
The initiative reflects Bihar’s broader election preparedness strategy, particularly in light of previous incidents of violence in Naxal-affected and remote districts. Authorities hope these measures will safeguard lives while ensuring that electoral processes remain uninterrupted, even in the state’s most challenging regions.
Officials emphasized that timely deployment of air support could prove critical during emergencies and help ensure that no booth is left unmanned due to logistical constraints.
