Lapses on intelligence front ; new strategy to tackle Maoists

Midnapore, West Bengal Mar 7 (UNI) Director General of Police Subhash Awasthi today virtually admitted lapses on the intelligence front and said a new strategy had been adopted to deal with the Maoists.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr Awasthi, who arrived the Maoist-dominated district to take stock of the situation following the killing of a CPI(M) leader, discussed the new strategy with the Superintendents of Police of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts - Mr Ajoy Nanada, Mr Rajesh Kumar Singh and Mr R Shibkumar respectively.

Mr Awasthi, however, refused to divulge the new strategy.

He was accompanied by senior police officials from Kolkata - IG (IB) Sadhan Mandal, IG (WR) Banibrata Basu and DIG, South Bengal, Gangeswar Singh.

The Director General iterated that police would have to improve its intelligence network in dealing with the Maoist menace, let loose in the three districts, where a number of CPI(M) leaders and policemen had been killed recently.

Mr Awasthi assured of safety and security to not only the political leaders but also to common people in the affected areas.

" We will spare no pains in this regard. We have ample modern weapons and other gadgets to deal with the Maoists. Only thing is that we have to improve our intelligence network. It is not true that our guns are old and not cleaned for long time as remarks havve come from some quarters, " Mr Awasthi asserted.

Asked whether there was any unpreparedness on the part of police in dealing with the Maoists as hinted by IG (Law&Order) Raj Konojia yesterday, he clarified that the police had not yet reached the optimal position in containing the Maoists. We are fully prepared and we have no dearth of weapons.

Political observers, however, felt that the new strategy was finalised by the DG at the meeting here as the part of confidence-building measures.

The Maosists had recently distributed leaflets in the rural areas of the three districts asking people not to cast their votes in the coming West Bengal Assembly election.

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