In comparison to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the Technical Intelligence Inputs in Bastar Zone of Chhattisgarh are very low and the reason for this is only 20 per cent effective connectivity in Bastar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh pointed out on Monday.
He mentioned : “It is only 4 per cent in a district like Sukma. There is a need to create special action plans through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to increase connectivity across the entire lWE affected area” while addressing a review meeting of lWE affected states in New Delhi.
From the point of view of Intelligence, I believe that there is a need to depute Shadow Intelligence Officers to trace the prominent targets associated with left Wing Extremism, he said.
There is a need to establish specific procedures between State Police and Central Forces for the exchange and use of intelligence, Singh said.
The whole country is agitated with the martyrdom of 25 CRPF personnel in the incident of April 24, 2017 in Burkapal, Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. In such situations, the challenge before us is to maintain focus and move towards our goal with speed, in a planned manner, he said.
The Home Minister in his address many times also indirectly mentioned the situation in Chhattisgarh with regard to preparedness in tackling insurgency in Bastar.
The Government has superior resources, training, technology, than the left Wing Extremists. But there is a need for better coordinated efforts to counter the strategy of the lWE, he said.
We assure the States that we will continue to provide full support to them for their capacity building and training needs. Intelligence sharing and deployment of Central security forces will continue as per requirement. But the States must take initiative to conduct operations and use resources optimally, Singh said.
In the year 2016, left Wing Extremists have suffered heavy losses. They also mentioned this in their statements and documents. It is also true that left Wing Extremists are constantly trying to take action against the security forces to increase the morale of their cadres, and undoubtedly the incident of the Burkapal of Sukma is one such example, the Home Minister stated.
Even in the year 2017, figures show that lWE incidents have decreased by 23.3 percent (377 to 289). But two to three incidents have occurred in which Security Forces have suffered heavy losses. Therefore, it is necessary that an analysis of these events is carried out, in order to assess the reasons as to why such incidents occur. The first session of the meeting will analyse the mechanism in place to combat left Wing Extremism and other related issues, he said.
Today, we need to consider whether to react only after the occurrence of such events. Should our role not be Proactive, he asked.
learning from the old incidents, we need to bring aggression into our policy. Aggression in thinking, Aggression in strategy, Aggression in deployment of forces, Aggression in operations, Aggression in development and Aggression in road construction, Singh said.
We will have to be cautious that extremely defensive deployment may result in reduction of operational offensive, he said.
We have to consider that although the figures of the surrenders of the left Wing Extremisms are increasing, but whether benefit of intelligence from these surrendered lWE cadres is being derived, Singh said.
We must ensure that the States take the ownership of lWE operations and CAPFs cooperate with them fully. At the same time, the forces on the Ground level should not lack leadership. "Unity of Purpose" and "Unity of Action" are essential for the success of operations, he said.
Meanwhile, notably, a total of 44 new mobile communication towers installed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam ltd (BSNl) have started functioning in Bastar region, informed Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand in July 2015.
By the end of July, 2015, a total of 61 new mobile towers would also start functioning, he had stated in a video conference of lWE infested states chaired by Union Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Sinha in Naya Raipur.
The Chief Secretary during the video conference demanded an air strip, super speciality hospital, banking services and increasing the transmission capacity of All India Radio and Doodarshan in Bastar region.
Dhand had stressed on the need for an additional 121 mobile communication towers in Bastar region.
He had also informed in the video conference that the work of all the 75 fortified police stations approved by the Central government in Bastar is targeted to be completed by October 2015.
The Centre had released a total sum of Rs 75.20 crores between 2010 to 2013 for a scheme for strengthening and strengthening fortification of police stations in the left Wing Extremism (lWE) pockets of Chhattisagrh as per the statistics available with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Nationally, under the scheme, a total of 400 police stations and outposts are to be constructed in the 10 lWE affected states at the rate of Rs 2 crore per police station, it stated. Eighty per cent of the cost of the project is being met by the Centre while 20 per cent is being met by the concerned State government.
During the period, Odhisha received sum of Rs 112 crores under the scheme while Jharkhand received Rs 97.50 crores.
As many as 259 battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are currently deployed in Chhattisgarh’s left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected regions.
The deployment in other states is as follows- Andhra Pradesh ( 16), Telangana ( 12), Bihar (57), Chhattisagrh ( 259), Jharkhand ( 144), Madhya Pradesh ( 8), Maharashtra (34), Odisha ( 102), Uttar Pradesh ( 6), West Bengal (53).
Presently, a total of 691 battalions of CAPFs are deployed across the country in lWE areas.
Deployment of CAPFs is a dynamic process and keeps on changing from time to time depending upon the requirements projected by the State as well as demands of other lWE affected states, availability of force and security situation in the particular State.
The Chhattisgarh government has already commenced work for laying a comprehensive OFC backbone link under 'BastarNet Project', officials informed.
The work comprises laying OFC in two ‘rings’-- the first being--Jagdalpur-Geedam-Kondagaon-Narayanpur-Bhanupratappur and Kanker.
The project would involve laying OFC in link 1 : Jagdalpur-Geedam – Approx. 71 Km, link 2 : Jagdalpur-Kondagaon – Approx. 74 Km, link 3 : Kondagaon-Narayanpur- Approx. 48 Km, link 4 : Narayanpur- Bhanupratapur - Approx. 76 Km, link 5 : Bhanupratapur- Kanker- Approx. 51 Km. link 6: Kanker- Kondagaon- Approx. 85 Km comprising a total of 405 Kms.
The work for underground OFC laying under Ring 2 would involve- Jagdalpur-Sukma-Dornapal-Konta-Dantewara-Geedam-Bijapur-Bhopalpattnam in which OFC would be laid in link 6: Jagdalpur-Sukma- Approx. 106 Km, link 7: Sukma-Dornapal- Approx. 36 Km, link 8: Dornapal- Konta- Approx. 44 Km, link 9: Sukma-Dantewara- Approx. 84 Km, link 10: Dantewara –Geedam- Approx. 18 Km, link 11: Geedam –Bijapur- Approx. 88 Km , link 12: Bijapur –Bhopalpattanam- Approx. 55 Km totalling 431 kms.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Raman Singh in August last year had stated that Bastar will be included in Chhattisagrh Government's ‘Digital Highway’ which will be a catalyst in bringing about a new revolution of development of a knowledge-based society, opportunity and economy.
It will also enhance the transparency, accuracy and accountability of government services, said while disclosing details on implementation of the ‘BastarNet’ project in his Independence Day speech delivered at the Police Parade ground here on August 15 last year.
He said that owing to its geographical conditions, it is necessary to ensure mobile and internet connectivity in Bastar.
Under this project, 832 kms long optical fibre cable will be laid at the cost of Rs 40 crore. This network will be built with 'ring network' so that it may provide uninterrupted mobile and internet connectivity through alternative routes, the Chief Minister said.
Public sector telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam ltd (BSNl) has taken up work for laying optical fibre cable (OFC) in regions of extreme insurgency-infested Sukma district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
The OFC will be connected to a total of 14 Village Panchayat buildings under National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) project, officials informed.
Notably, BSNl has already commenced the process of laying optical fibre cables under NOFN project in parts of insurgency infested pockets of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
With a view to providing a major boost to expansion of telecommunications services in Chhattisgarh, the BSNl is going to install 2000 new mobile towers in the State during the next two years, Union Minister for Telecommunications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced during his visit to Raipur in June last year.
Notably, via video conferencing , Prasad earlier had dedicated the 146 new mobile towers erected in insurgency-infested Bastar region and infrastructure for providing internet services developed in Panchayats at Balrampur-Ramanujgunj district through NOFN.
In an effort to boost ‘digital drive’, 220 new Wi-Fi hot spots will be set up in the State mainly at tourist places, Prasad said.