Anti-Naxal cell in the offing

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) The Union Home Ministry proposes to set up an official cell to deal "competently and quickly" with issues relating to Naxal menace and monitor implementation of anti-Naxal policies and programmes.

The cell will be headed by a senior IAS officer in the rank of Additional Secretary. He will be assisted by a team of officers from the IAS and IPS cadre.

The proposal is being considered seriously in the light of increasing incidence of Naxal violence in recent months with Chhattisgarh accounting for the highest casualty among the 13 Naxal-affected states.

Home Ministry sources said there would be two joint secretaries in the cell with one of them being an IPS officer in the rank of an Inspector General of police.

There would be two more IPS officers in the rank of DIG who would function as Deputy Secretaries. They would be in charge of monitoring the implementation of anti-Naxal plan and security related issues.

In all, there would be four Deputy Secretaries, two of them would be junior IAS officers. They would monitor development of the affected areas where several government programmes are implemented to wean away the youth from joining the ranks of the Maoists.

Sources said the proposal would soon be presented before the Union Cabinet which will take the final decision.

UNI SH AK DB1827