By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Election is the season when political leaders undertake whirlwind tours using choppers to reach out far flung areas for campaigning. However, the stand of the State Transport Department, which is the chopper service provider, is that no political parties can use the helicopter.
In a written reply to a query on the conditions for the political parties to use the chopper, the Transport Department said, “Political parties are not allowed to charter the chopper.”
Chief Electoral Officer P Naik echoed the same by saying that political parties cannot use the chopper at the
inconvenience of the passengers.
He suggested that since there is only one chopper in the State, the political parties can hire choppers from outside the State for their campaign provided that the trips are shown in the expenditure of political parties.
After filing of nominations, the political parties and the candidates may bear the expenditure jointly, he stated.
