Raipur: More than a week after 10 police personnel and a civilian were killed in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, state Director General of Police Ashok Juneja reviewed anti-Naxal operations in Bastar division during special meetings, and directed the police and paramilitary officials to intensify action against Naxalites.
The review meetings were held at three places in the state for two days starting Wednesday. Security to development works, VIP security, setting up new camps and other issues were discussed during these meetings that concluded on Thursday, officials said.
The Bastar division comprises seven districts that have been struggling with Left-wing extremism for the last more than three decades.
The first meeting was held in Narayanpur district headquarter that covers Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Kanker districts, followed by Sukma district headquarter for Sukma district on Wednesday, while the meeting at Dantewada district headquarter covering Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar districts on Thursday, they said.
During the meetings, Juneja directed the police and paramilitary officials posted in the division to intensify the anti-Naxal operations while maintaining caution during the ongoing Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) observed by Maoists during summer, a public relations official of the state police said.
He also stressed the need to establish better mutual coordination between state and central forces, and called for a better strategy to facilitate development works and provide security, the official said.
The DGP also gave special directives pertaining to setting up new camps, road security, construction of bridges and culverts, community policing and other development, VIP security, he added.
Additional Director General (ADG) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Vitul Kumar, state’s ADG (anti-naxal operations) Vivekanand Sinha, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P, senior officials of CPRF, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), district superintendents of Police and other officials attended meetings.
Ten personnel, belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the police, and a civilian driver were killed after Naxals blew up a multi-utility vehicle (MUV) that was part of the convoy carrying security personnel in Aranpur police station area of Dantewada.
