Home Secretary Pillai says state police has key role in anti-Maoist operation

New Delhi, June 10(ANI): Union Home Secretary G K Pillai has said the Home Ministry insists that state police should play a key role with assistance from central security forces to tackle the Maoists menace.

In an interview to a private news channel, Pillai said: "I think basically the whole strategy has been to strengthen the state police to be able to fight the Maoists."

"The whole focus in our strategy has been that our paramilitary forces would help the state government and the state police forces and to restore civil administration," he added.

The Union Cabinet is expected to discuss today the use of the Army in the campaign against the Maoists.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is scheduled to discuss the Home Ministry's proposal concerning the use of armed forces in the operation against Maoists.

In his interview to the TV channel, G K Pillai said: "This remains the corner stone of our policy and we have fine tuned some of the issues in the light of development that should take place. And I think it is better to wait till the Cabinet Committee takes a view on the proposals."

According to the reports, the Army has offered to post brigadier-level officers in Naxal-affected states as advisers and be a part of the Unified Command. (ANI)