Home Secretary Pillai says no immediate need for Army in Naxal-hit areas

Raipur, July 6 (ANI): Union Home Secretary G K Pillai has said that there is no immediate need for deployment of Army in the Maoist-hit areas.

Pillai, who is on a three-day visit to Chhattisgarh to review the situation there, said the Centre has discussed the issue in detail at the Cabinet Committee for Security meet and concluded that there was no need for deploying the Army in Naxal-hit areas.

He said more security personnel could be deployed in the affected areas in accordance with the requirement.

He further said both the Centre and the State Government are taking steps to contain the problem, but it could take three to seven years to solve it.

He pointed out that the Planning Commission is already working on an integrated plan for all regions affected by ultras.

"The Planning Commission is preparing an integrated action plan for the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts," he added.

Pillai's visit to Chhattisgarh is considered significant following the recent Maoist attack in Narayanpur district in which at least 27 CRPF personnel were killed. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram asked the State Government to 'revisit paramilitary deployment in Maoist-hit areas.

"Some of these deployments must be revisited (so as to ascertain) whether they are serving any purpose. I hope the Chief Minister will hold discussions with the CPMF (Central Para-Military Forces) and the state police and revisit these deployments," said Chidambaram.

"We must deploy the paramilitary forces only when there is an operational objective or a developmental objective. Whether there are any lapses will be known only after an enquiry is conducted," he added.(ANI)