From posting “efficient” police officers to demanding more paramilitary forces from the Centre, Chhattisgarh is gearing for a “result-oriented” approach in the >Maoist heartland of Bastar .
In a meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, >10 more battalions of paramilitary forces were sanctioned for the State along with two more helicopters for rescue operations.
The State already has 36 battalions of the paramilitary forces.
Apart from deployment of more troops, the State has also replaced the Inspector-General of Police, Bastar range and Superintendent of Police of four districts in Bastar.
Senior IPS officer Shivram Kalluri, known for his “anti-Naxal stand” has been posted as Bastar IG.
“Kalluri is known for his organisational skills and anti-Naxal operations which he planned and executed as Dantewada senior SP. As the SP of Sarguja district, he almost made the district Naxal-free,” an intelligence officer operating in Bastar told The Hindu .
Apart from the posting of Mr. Kalluri, the SPs of Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma and Kondagaon district in the region have been replaced.
Sukma and Bijapur are considered the most sensitive districts in terms of Maoist activities.
“We have posted some experienced officers who have good knowledge of counter-insurgency. For example, the new Bijapur SP was earlier posted in Narayanpur and led many anti-Maoist operations,” informed R.K. Vij, the Additional Director-General (ADG) of police, Naxal operations adding that Bastar would witness more anti-Maoist operations now.
However, Mr. Vij denied that the choppers would be used for combat operation.
According to a senior police officer, the new dispensation at Centre wants the state government to deliver.
“The bogey of non-cooperation from the Centre won’t be there now with same party government at both the level. And the Centre government is ready to provide all the support now so the state has to act,” said the officer wishing to remain anonymous.
The State government has also asked for more help in infrastructure development in Maoist areas to the Centre.
“The CM argued for connecting Bastar with the mainstream of the nation by increasing rail and road connectivity, putting up mobile towers and speedy clearance of proposed projects and the Union Home Minister was more than willing to provide all kind of help to the State,” said a press release issued by Chhattisgarh public relations department.
“Bastar seems to be the focus of the CM and he will have to deliver now. With new police team under Kallluri, some concrete action could be witnessed in Bastar in near future,” said an IPS officer who has served in Sukma district.
