For the first time, the Centre held a meeting with four States, including Odisha, to chalk out an integrated action plan to flush out Maoists from their stronghold. The Union Home Ministry held discussion with the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, which would be presided over by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Reliable sources said the operation would begin from Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, where 14 CRPF jawans were killed in Maoist attack in December last year. It will be followed by Dantewada and Bijapur districts. The Odisha, Maharashtra and Telengana Governments would provide adequate cooperation to the operation, which will be led by the Chhattisgarh Government, the sources said. The Centre will provide adequate Central para-military forces for the special operation.
Apart from this, the Odisha Government’s demand for two additional CRPF battalions was also taken up. It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a letter to Union Home Minister on February 2, had demanded deployment of two additional CRPF battalions in the State.The State Government in the meeting demanded the Centre to begin construction of Gurupriya bridge in Malkangiri district in order to connect the cut-off region of the district with the main land.