Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss anti-Naxal strategy

New Delhi: The NDA government is all set to give its first major push to anti-Naxalite operations across 10 states, with Union home minister Rajnath Singh directing the CRPF on Thursday to adopt a “proactive approach”, assuring it his full backing.

The minister visited the CRPF headquarters here a day before he will meet the top law and order brass of 10 states to discuss rollout of the anew anti-Naxal strategy. The Centre is giving a push to coordinated operations by 10 states affected by the menace, which includes the recently carved out state of Telangana.

At Friday’s meet, the focus would be on reviving the stalled anti-Naxal operations by Central and state forces, particularly in Chattisgarh and Jharkhand, which had considerably slowed down ahead of the general elections.

The Centre is planning a major boost to the operations in Chattisgarh. Highly placed sources said that 10 additional battalions of central forces will be deployed in the Red zone by the year-end. The CRPF, which has deployed the maximum number of men on the ground and is in the forefront of the operations, has been asked to develop a proper “operational architecture'” to tackle the Naxal menace in view of each state expressing its own problems in combating Left Wing extremism.

Security sources said the aim is to launch the concerted operations before the monsoon sets which gives Naxals the upper hand in the dense terrains and makes it difficult for the security forces to venture far from their camps. The delay in monsoon is expected to give enough time for the forces to spread over the Red Corridor.