Special Security Advisor on Naxal affairs in the Ministry of Home affairs K Vijay Kumar reiterated on Thursday that the drive against the CPI (Maoists) in the State will continue till peaceful development begins in the region.Kumar, who was on a two-day visit to Bihar and Jharkhand, also inaugurated a police picket at Kumandih block of latehar, once considered to be a Maoist heartland where rebels had planted bomb in the body of a jawan in the year 2013 after their comrades got killed during an encounter.
“Due to more and more Naxal interference, Kumandih remained one of the most backward regions in the state due to which a police picket is being established here, so that a sense of security could be developed among the people and development could be brought in at a steadily,” said Kumar. He also added that there was no timeframe fixed for the continuation of anti-Maoists drive in the state. “There is no fix time and date; the drive will be continued till peaceful development is started in the region,” Kumar said.
Referring to the Saryu Action Plan, Kumar said that those projects being held up due to Maoists hindrance will be started soon as the government was quite serious on the issue. Kumar, who reached Kumadih in a helicopter, walked up to Pichkat and took stock of the problems being faced by the local villagers. During the inauguration of the police picket, he also inspected the police picket and had an informal chat with the security forces present there.
Kumar, in order to boost up the morale of the jawans gave them tips regarding precautions to be taken during encounter with the Maoists and also updated their knowledge regarding the arms they were carrying. Notably, 9 police personnel had been killed during an encounter with the CPI (Maoists) after being ambushed in the jungles Kumandih in the year 2013. The Maoists also had planted bomb in the body of jawan and handed it over to the state police to cause more damage.
Kumar was also accompanied by the DGP DK Pandey, IG (CRPF) RK Mishra, ADG (Operations) SN Pradhan, Palamu IG A Natrajan, DIG Palamu Saket Kumar Singh, latehar SP Anup Birthare along with some other officials of state police and CRPF. later in the afternoon, Kumar also held a review meeting with top officials of state police and CRPF at the police headquarters in Ranchi. Kumar, during the meeting, had a brief discussion over the overall scenario of the Naxal affected areas in Jharkhand.
Talking to media persons after coming out of the meeting, Kumar expressed satisfaction over the work being done by the state police to check the menace of Naxalism across the state.
“I have come here to congratulate the state police officials as they have been running both the anti-naxal and developmental programmes successfully all over the state. The state government is doing well in both the areas,” said Kumar. Coordination between the central and state forces has also been excellent in Jharkhand, he said. Kumar further added that both Jharkhand and Bihar police have been working together and have decided to cooperate during the anti-naxal operations as well as the upcoming Bihar elections.
K Vijay Kumar 1 : Union Home Ministry Security Adviser K Vijay Kumar along with Jharkhand DGP DK Pandey and other senior police officials during a review meeting at Jharkhand Police Headquarter in Ranchi on Thursday. pic by Ratan lal.