Naxal task force meets in Capital today

The task force on Naxalites will be meeting in New Delhi tomorrow to review the counter-insurgency operations against the Naxalites and the standard operating procedures followed by the security forces.

The task force on Naxalites will be meeting in New Delhi tomorrow to review the counter-insurgency operations against the Naxalites and the standard operating procedures (SoP) followed by the security forces. The meeting at North Block will be chaired by additional secretary Vinay Kumar and attended by top police officials from nine states.

Though, over the past one year, sustained operations and heavy deployment of security forces in Naxalite strongholds have resulted in reduction in the number of incidents, the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s South Bastar district on February 8 that led to the death of six police personnel has left the Home Ministry worried. It is now considering a comprehensive review of the situation with the affected states.

Sources are of the opinion that the Naxals at the moment are lying low and gauzing the impact of the strategy adopted by the government, which includes deployment of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Chhattisgarh. Joint operations by the affected states, their demand for more Central forces and raising of reserve battalions would also be evaluated at the meeting.

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The Centre has also called a meeting of the empowered Group of Ministers (GoM), to be chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, on February 19 to discuss developmental issues in the Naxalite-affected states. Efforts are on to identify the lacunae in the development model adopted by these states. They will also seek the Planning Commission’s opinion on the issue.

Meanwhile, a national seminar, focusing on the Salwa Judum movement, will be held at the capital on February 14.