In the wake of Saturday's naxalite attack, which claimed the lives of 24 security personnel in Bastar region, the Chhattisgarh government has sought more sophisticated weapons from the Centre to tackle the menace. An emergency cabinet meeting has also been called today to consider a ban on naxalite outfits. Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has called the meeting to discuss the situation and also decide whether to impose a ban on the Communist Party of India-Maoist and its frontal organisation, given the recent increased naxal activities, top official sources told PTI.
After a high-level meeting on Sunday night to review the situation, the chief minister spoke to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil [Images] and the Union home secretary and briefed them about the Padeda incident on Saturday, in which 24 security men were killed.
Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, who visited the site in Bijapur police district on Sunday, said the chief minister had asked Patil to assist the state by providing more forces and latest weapons to combat the situation.
"The chief minister not only briefed the Centre about the situation, but also about the steps being taken by the state government, including contemplating a ban on naxal organisations," he said.
Netam said a 'war-like' situation prevailed in the naxal-affected areas in which the 'state police and paramilitary forces are engaged in a one-to-one fight with the naxalites at many places'.
From January 2004 till date, naxalites have triggered 226 landmine blasts and as many as 104 landmines were recovered and defused during the same period, Netam said. "Despite the high casualty figure in Saturday's attack, the police and paramilitary forces have a high morale and are still ready to take on the Maoists," he claimed.
Stating that operations against the naxalites would be more aggressive, Netam said in the last seven days, an operation codenamed Operation Green Hunt has demolished a total of 21 naxal training camps. The joint taskforce has also killed 10 ultras in the woods of Bastar.
"The CPI-Maoist is a banned organisation through a central act but a ban under the state act would help in controlling the frontal organisations of the Maoists," the chief minister had said on Sunday.
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