Anti-naxal operations to be intensified in states

Raipur, Feb 23 (UNI) The Joint Task Force of eight naxalite-affected states today decided to intensify the operation against Communist Party of India (Maoist) cadres, who had stepped up violence in few states, including Chhattisgarh.

Talking to reporters here, Union Special Secretary (Home) A K Mitra said the task force meeting reviewed the Naxalite activities, particularly the recent spurt in Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh.

''Joint operations in the border areas would be intensified,'' he said, adding that a strategy was also in place to have better coordination between the states in Anti-naxalite operations.

He said senior officers, including from the intelligence wing, from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Maharashtra attended today's task force meeting.

Replying to a question, Mr Mitra admitted that there has been no major success in cutting off the sources of funding of naxalites.

He also admitted that of late, the Maoists had acquired large number of sophisticated weapons.

When his attention was drawn towards the controversy over the Chhattisgarh Special Peoples' Security Bill, which was passed by the state assembly mainly to deal with Naxalite problem, Mr Mitra parried the question saying, ''I have not read it. I can't say whether it was draconian or not.'' Mr Mitra said it was the declared policy of the Centre to deal strictly with the ultras indulging in violence and to tackle the problem on operational as well as developmental front, as the Centre considers it as not merely a law and order problem.

He said the Centre was also of the view that the states concerned must adopt a collective approach to deal with the problem.

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