Mahasamund has been given the Naxal-hit district rank four years ago, but it has not been getting the facilities being given to the Naxal-infested districts. If the additional facilities were not given to the district, the police personnel deployed there for security would not get the benefit of a single pie from the State Government.
Earlier, when the Mahasamund had been included among the Naxal-affected districts, there were only partial activities of naxalites. After declaration as Naxal-affected district, the then DGP Vishwaranjan had told the journalists that Mahasamund would be the district with proper facilities.
Since then the Mahasamund district police had constantly been making correspondence in this regard. Many a SPs and DSPs have come and gone in these four years, and all of them had reiterated the demand, but the police could not get any facility so far.
Faced with shortage of forces and facilities, Mahasamund has now become the stronghold of naxalites. District superintendent of police Deepak Jha said that the district police were not yet got the facilities being given to the naxal-hit districts. They are not getting the additional allowances. Correspondence has been done for 15 per cent additional allowance. CRPF assistance has been taken for searching in the
sensitive areas. Budget provisions are there for other expenses and construction of barracks, but police personnel are disheartened as they are not getting naxal allowance. First time, after the declaration of naxal-hit district, six naxalites were shot down in an encounter in Sankara police station area. Since then naxalite activities have been increased in the district.
The district police, which is facing crisis of forces, has been continuously fighting for the security of the district without allowance and other facilities.