Two years into the anti-Naxalite action plan rolled out by the Union home ministry, the security forces are complaining of inferior technology and lack of infrastructure in camps set up in Maoist strongholds. With Maoist activity once again peaking in summer and the rebels killing over a dozen securitymen in the past few days, home minister P. Chidambaram has called a review meeting with top officials of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand and the directors-general of the CRPF and BSF on Tuesday.
Senior government sources said this meeting will also take stock of the preparedness of Central and state police forces in view of the Naxal violence in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. In April 2010, the Naxals had carried out their deadliest attack there, killing 76 CRPF personnel. Morale in the forces has now dipped after the Naxals, in three recent attacks, blew up an anti-landmine vehicle and targeted state police and CRPF personnel. “What can we do when an anti-landmine vehicle is blown up? There is an urgent need to upgrade the security forces’ technological capability,” a senior CRPF official said.
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Jaya on 2-day trip to Delhi, will meet PM
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
June 12: AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa on Monday begins her first visit to New Delhi after taking over as Tamil Nadu chief minister last month. During the two-day visit, she will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh amid speculation that a political realignment is on the cards.
There has also been severe strain lately in Congress-DMK relations.
Contrary to earlier reports, Ms Jayalalithaa will not meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on this visit as the latter is learnt to be out of the city.