5,000 paramilitary men to be deployed for anti-Naxal operations
New Delhi:
In a move to flush out Naxalites, the Border Security Force (BSF) has
decided to deploy five thousand personnel in the Maoist affected states, along
with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). According to sources the BSF would deploy
five battalions in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Maharashtra
, where the Maoist activity is high. The deployment of the personnel drawn from
border areas for the anti-naxal operation in five states would be completed by
the end of September, sources added. The outgoing Director General of BSF M.L.Kumawat
said the force has earlier played a leading role in anti-insurgency operations,
may also take up operations in Naxal hit areas whenever ordered. Nearly 230 security
personnel lost their lives in the Naxal violence in these five states. India is
constantly observing the construction of structures by the Pakistani rangers along
the border, and would react at the appropriate time, Kumawat said. Talking about
the modernisation steps of the force, Kumawat said vehicles like Hovercrafts are
being acquired to carry out patrol and recce missions in the Sir Creek area. Kumawat
said there have been 2,607 incidents of infiltration on the eastern border, and
199 attempts on the western border so far this year. Kumawat termed his 10-month
stint with BSF as a very rich experience.
