Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday discounted the need of the Armed forces for counter-insurgency operations in Maoist heartland Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
“There is no need for the Army. We (Chhattisgarh Government) would have to deal with the insurgency problem in a better manner,” he told mediapersons before leaving for Raipur in New Delhi after cutting short his tour following Maoist attack on a CRPF team which lead to killing of 11 CRPF personnel besides 4 District Force (DF) personnel and a civilian near Jeeram valley in Bastar.
Singh said that the CRPF in co-ordination with the State police will do whatever is necessary for intensifying the counter insurgency operations in Bastar region.‘The Union Home Minister is arriving on Wednesday in Raipur and we would sit together and discuss issues on tackling the problem,’ the Chief Minister said.
Singh said that there was prior intelligence available about the attack from both the State and Central Intelligence machinery and it is not an intelligence failure.The Chief Minister stated that the Centre provided 65 companies of para military forces for the Assembly polls. We now need 500 companies for the lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh, he said.