Kolkata, August 08: Though the state government has admitted the failure of the police operations in Lalgarh, it has requested the Union Home department for three months’ extension for the Central forces in the Maoist-dominated areas. According to sources, there is no possibility of immediate withdrawal of the Central forces from Lalgarh and its adjacent areas.
The IG (Law & Order), Surajeet Kar Purkaiastha, said: “We have not received any communication on withdrawal of the Central forces.”
The administration is also planning a stronger offensive against the Maoists in the forests of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.
The strategy was devised at a high-level meeting on Thursday, in which DGP Bhupinder Singh, senior officers of the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Forces along with state intelligence agencies had participated.
Sources said the police have information that nearly 150 armed Maoist cadres are operating in the area. During daytime, they hide in villages and it becomes very difficult for the police to identify them.
State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said the police will change its strategy against the Maoists. “We feel that a new strategy should be devised,” he said.
The crackdown on armed Maoist cadres through a jungle operation is likely to be undertaken after August 31. “The operation can flush out the Maoists who hide in the forests at night,” said an official.
The administration has also decided to vacate schools where temporary police camps were established. Already, ten of the 18 schools have been vacated and the remaining will be vacated by August 31, said an official.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meanwhile, has called a meeting of chief ministers to discuss internal security. Following the meet, a special meeting of chief ministers of seven Maoist-affected states will be held on August 17, sources in the CM secretariat said.
Operation in Lalgarh was launched on June 18, one month after the Lok Sabha polls. Even after the operation was over within two weeks, murder and violence continued unabated. Besides the CPM cadres and activists, the Maoists also targeted workers of other political groups like the Jharkhand Party (Naren), an ally of the Congress in West Bengal.
–Agencies