Two contingents of 1,000 newly-trained personnel each have been dispatched by the Centre for anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, taking the total number of Central paramilitary troops for the purpose across the country to one lakh.
The personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) have been sent to Odisha to be deployed in Nabarangpur, Koraput and Rayagada districts and they would undertake anti-Maoist operations in coordination with the State police, a senior paramilitary official said.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deployed 82 battalions, the BSF 11 battalions (five in Chhattisgarh and six in Odisha) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) six battalions in various Maoist violence-hit States.
Almost another five battalions of these central forces are waiting in the wings or are undergoing training and they would also be sent soon for operations to deal with the Maoists, the official said. The Union Home Ministry is also chalking out plans to provide more helicopters for the supporting the troops on the ground in these States.