Lack of coordination b/w police & CRPF to blame?

New Delhi, Apr 8: Amid serious questions if the lack of coordination between the para-military forces and the state police was one of the biggest factors that helped the Maoists strike with ease on Tuesday, Apr 6, the CRPF Director General Vikram Srivastava said that anti-Maoist operations were being planned in close consultation with the Chhattisgarh police.

Indicating that a joint offensive will be launched against the terrorists, the official said, “We will do our planning in close consultation with the State DGP and the State officers. We will have good coordination with them and it will be a joint plan."

According to reports, doubts over the extent of coordination or the lack of it between the CRPF and the police are plaguing the Home Minister P Chimdambaram.

The minister reportedly discussed the issue with functionaries of the two forces and has asked the forces to work together when it comes to operations in the forests.

Mr Srivastava, however, denied that there was any problems with the coordination with the police from CRPF's side.

“There is no problem in coordination. The state officers never command the field commanders. They are in touch in a coordinated way," he said.

A police official on Wednesday, Apr 7 had alleged that the there was no cooperation from the CRPF. The troopers ignored the police official's repeated requests to take along a police personnel, the official said.

The CRPF have to take along the police as the troopers are often outsiders who do not know the thick forests or its terrain.

OneIndia News