Calcutta, May 8: An Indian Air Force helicopter with police and air force personnel on board will survey Naxalites-threatened pockets of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore on the day of polling, chief electoral officer Basudeb Banerjee said today.

The state government was discussing copter surveillance with the air force for some time and the number has been finalised.

“The helicopter would be used primarily for surveillance, but also for movement of police and polling personnel. If there is an urgent requirement of forces somewhere, then the helicopter can reach forces from one place to another in minutes,” he said.

Informing about the various arrangements made for polling day — which were again discussed with district magistrates and district police superintendents through videoconferencing — Banerjee today said: “We are only nervous about the extreme heat, the rest is all fine. We have asked the officials to be cautious about the measures to be taken.”

The government will get 180 companies of paramilitary forces, nine companies of state armed police from Chhattisgarh and Orissa, 10,000 home guards from Bihar and 4,000 home guards from Orissa.

The state is deploying only 0.4 per cent of polling personnel from other states in Cooch Behar, Panskura, Arambagh and Durgapur.