Hyderabad, March 24: Maoists are planning to set up a battalion of guerrilla fighters by clubbing the existing companies of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army.
This was revealed after police seized key documents from recently gunned-down Maoists. But the setting up of the battalion suffered an initial hitch as some key Maoist leaders died in police encounters.
According to the report, the formation of the battalion is a big need as Central paramilitary forces and state forces are deployed in large number for combing operations.
The Maoists are also planning to transform People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army to People’s Liberation Army giving up the word Guerrilla.
“They are working on building battalions to fight stationary battles,” said a senior police officer.
“They have also formed regional bureaus such as the central regional bureau for Dandakaranya. A special political school was also set up,”
Further, the CPI Maoist Central Committee member Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu, said in the report that the movement was successful in roping in 500 persons during the ‘Bharti Abhiyan’ (recruitment drive) for 535 posts falling in the limits of Dandakaranya special zonal committee.
But 80 of the new recruits dropped out and 20 of the old batch members gave up armed struggle leaving only 400 personnel.
Recruitment has also increased in east and west Bastar and Gadchiroli, said the report.
–Agencies