|
Chhattisgarh seeks over 70 battalions to fight Maoists
RAIPUR The Chhattisgarh government has sought deployment of at least 70 battalions of central forces to fight the Maoist rebels who have been orchestrating cold-blooded killings in the state. The state government has strongly requested the central government to deploy at least 70 battalions of central forces mostly in the state's southern Bastar region, including Dantewada and Bijapur districts, to put a check on guerrillas and boost morale of forces," a top home department official told IANS on Saturday."I can't say the centre is ignoring the gravity of Maoist problem in Chhattisgarh, but I can say the deployment of forces is not to the level where the heat can be turned on Maoist militants," said the official who requested anonymity. According to the official, "ill-equipped" state police are at present fighting about 80,000 Maoists in the state. These include 10,000 Maoists armed with landmines, rocket launchers, mortars and explosives. Only 13 battalions of central forces, mostly from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that has not much idea of guerrilla warfare methods, are assisting the police in the fight against the leftist insurgency. Top police officials involved in formulating anti-Maoist strategy say the state is losing out the battle to the insurgents in Dantewada and Bijapur districts where rebels are said to have accumulated huge terror infrastructure and have protected their hideouts by planting landmines all around. Posted by: Steve White 2007-12-24 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=215086 |