Centre announces time bound investigation on Dantewada attack

New Delhi, Apr 8 (ANI): Admitting the fact that something had gone wrong in Chhattisgarh, the Union Government on Thursday decided to set up an inquiry into the incident in which 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed.

Briefing media after a cabinet meeting, Chidambaram said: "We have taken a decision to institute an inquiry into what went wrong."

Chidambaram underlined that the inquiry would be time-framed.

"I maintain what I said yesterday that something went wrong. We have to find that out," he said.

Chidambaram described reports of use of pressure mines in the attack and reports of lack of cooperation between state police and the CRPF as 'incorrect."

He informed that the 76 security personnel, including a driver of a mine-protected vehicle and a head constable of the state police, were killed in the landmine blast.

Commenting on the shortage of mine-protected vehicles (MPVs), Chidambaram said the operational commander would decide the combination of weapons and the use of MPVs.

"That is a decision the operational commanders have to take. In some places, they may review the operations, in others they may go ahead and intensify," he said.

Chidambaram said the Centre has ordered a large number of MPVs for paramilitary forces, including 280 for the CRPF.

He said the MPVs produced by Indian public and private sectors are of "extremely limited capacity."

Chidambaram said an MPV was blown up in the Tuesday's attack as it was designed to take a blast of 15 to 20 kilograms capacity.

"But if you have a larger charge, then it will be damaged." The driver of this MPV was killed," he said.

Chidambaram reiterated that the Central forces role would be to support the state police and it is the later which need to decide, based on ground situations.

"We will provide paramilitary forces to the state governments to assist them to carry out anti-Naxal operations, regain control so that they can restore the developmental process," he said.

"So, therefore, whether the operations will continue or intensify, these decisions have to be taken by the state government and the operational commanders," Chidambaram added. (ANI)