On Naxals, Home wants states to act

The Home Ministry will look for a ‘‘seal of approval’’ from chief ministers of Naxal-affected states to carry out coordi...

The Home Ministry will look for a ‘‘seal of approval’’ from chief ministers of Naxal-affected states to carry out coordinated operations across borders at the meeting on Left extremism here tomorrow.

Home Secretary V K Duggal told The Indian Express that the meeting’s thrust will be on ‘‘joint action by states’’. The high-level meeting, chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, is likely to be attended by 13 CMs.

Duggal, however, denied that the Centre plans to ask states to ban Naxalite outfits. ‘‘It’s up to the states to do so,’’ he said. Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have banned such outfits while Orissa has indicated that it’s against any such move.

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At their last meeting in Hyderabad this June, the states-Centre coordination panel, chaired by Duggal, had agreed on coordinated action and setting up two joint task forces (JTFs) for anti-Naxal operations across the Compact Revolution Zone (CRZ).

However, a dispute among states on the command structure of the JTFs has hampered these operations. Only Andhra and Orissa have carried out such operations with Naxals escaping to the bordering states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. This time, the Ministry would suggest that the leadership of the JTFs be rotated among states that comprise the force or be given to the senior-most officer.

With Naxal-related violence increasing, CRPF Director General J K Sinha had recently said that Naxals have created a ‘‘war-like situation’’, while calling for a unified strategy.

The Ministry, meanwhile, has increased allocation for development purposes and police modernisation, and has increased funding to states under Security Related Funds (SRF).

What Ministry wants

• Speed up socio-economic development

• Land reforms & job schemes

• Boost Village Defence Committees