Central aid fails to curb Naxal menace
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16/04/2009
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Asian Age (New Delhi)
NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA and SRIDHAR KUMARASWAMI
NEW DELHI
The Central assistance to Naxal-infested states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa have failed to contain the rising incidents of Maoist violence ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. On Wednesday, BSF director-general M.L. Kumawat submitted a report to the home ministry on the Maoist strike at the BSF base at Rohtas-Sasaram in Bihar.
The Centre on Wednesday called a high-level meeting to review the security of passengers and railways properties in the maoist hit states.
At a meeting with the chairman of the Railway Board, director-general of the Railway Protection Force and representatives of security agencies, Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta took stock of the security measures being taken for the safety of railways passengers, The face off between security forces and the Naxalites has claimed the lives of 22 CRPF personnel in a span of four months this year. However, the Centre had been providing all possible assistance to the states reeling under the Maoist terror.
Home ministry records point out that sums of Rs 153.41-crore, Rs 189.7crore, Rs 169.52-crore and Rs 168.41-crore have been doled out to Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa, respectively, under the Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) scheme to fight the Naxal menace, besides an additional Rs 164.55crore given to the Naxal-affected states under the Security Related Expenditure scheme.
In addition, 29 India Reserve (IR) Battalions have been sanctioned to the concerned states by the Centre.
The Indian Air Force has deployed helicopters in Bihar to aid the Border Security Force in transporting security personnel and in compliance with Election Commission directives. The IAF has deployed two MI-17 and one Chetak chopper in Bihar so far.
The IAF had so far deployed 27 helicopters for election duty on the orders of the Election Commission in various states, Indian Air Force sources said.