M A I N   N E W S

Centre readies states to tackle Naxal trouble
Will inject 10,000 troops to give a ‘befitting reply’ to any attack
Tribune News Service

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a meeting with Chief Secretaries and DGPs of the Maoist-affected states in New Delhi on Friday. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Home Secretary Anil Goswami are also seen. PTI

New Delhi, June 27
Ruling out any talks with Maoists, the Central Government will soon be injecting another 10,000 troops in the Maoist-violence affected states with an aim to give a “befitting reply” to any attack.

In what would be new steps in the war against Naxals who are spread across 10 states, the Centre will fully fund the formation of an elite commando force in states to deal with the menace, besides setting up 3,000 mobile communication towers to improve connectivity. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will take up the case of environment clearances for roads and setting up mobile towers, sources said, adding that more troops would be added to the existing 80,000 Central forces already stationed there. The Home Ministry will fully fund formation of special forces on the lines of the anti-Naxal force Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh and initially such squads will come up in four states — Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar — that fall in the category of “chronically affected”.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today met top civil and police brass of 10 states affected by Naxal violence.

He assured the officials of providing enough funds to equip and modernise their respective police forces.

Chief Secretaries and DGPs of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and chiefs of paramilitary forces and top officials of the Home Ministry attended the meeting.

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Rajnath said: “There is no question of any talks now. We will take a balanced approach. But the forces will give a befitting reply if the Naxals launch attacks.” A Home Ministry official later said talks with the Maoists would be held only if they shunned violence and came forward for a dialogue. This is the same stance articulated by Home Ministers of the just-ousted Congress-led UPA regime.

At the meeting, the Home Minister asked all states to adopt a uniform and concerted approach to tackle the Maoist movement. “The surrender and rehabilitation packages may be revised to make it more attractive for the militant cadres,” the MHA said.