Taking their foot forward towards eliminating Maoists from the State, Jharkhand Police have intensified anti-Naxal operations in some of the worst hit areas of the State in last few days. According to senior police officials, a multi-pronged strategy was being adopted to eradicate Maoists from Jharkhand, besides intensifying operations against them in some of their core areas.
“Besides intensifying anti-Naxal operations, surrender policy in the State are also being emphasised making people more educated regarding the provisions under the scheme. Family members are also being contacted and are being asked to convince their loved ones to join the mainstream who have lost their track,” said IG (Operations) Ashish Batra.
Incidentally, intensive operations have been launched by the State Police along with the CRPF, CoBRA, Jharkhand Jaguar and Jharkhand Armed Police in Budha Pahar area of latehar recently naming it operation ‘Clean Sweep.’ The operation is said to be launched to catch hold on some of the top Naxal leaders including Arvind Ji alias Dev Kumar Singh having a cash reward of Rs 1 crore on his head and was supposed to be there in this area.
A resident of Aurangabad in Bihar, Arvind Ji, 50, is one of the top Maoist leaders in Jharkhand who plans and executes most of the group’s subversive activities in the State. He is also wanted in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
The IG further added that Focus Area Development Action Plan has been launched in the worst Naxal hit areas of the 13 left Wing Extremist affected areas out of which, 3 of them have also been notified by the Government of India.
“Targeted developmental activities are being conducted in those areas which are also monitored by the State Government through time to time reviews done by Chief Secretary and DGP,” said the IG. It is also being ensured that the Government schemes reach there on time benefitting each and every individual residing in those areas, which never used to reach there earlier, he added.
Batra said that the number of surrenders have remarkably been increased in the last two years as it is being publicised in a better, dedicated and in a professional manner.
ADG (Operations) RK Mallick also maintained that Naxal areas were being narrowed down through sustained operations. “Although it is a long standing problem, sustained operations are on in this regard….slowly and steadily we are narrowing their areas and at the same time we are also enlarging our area of encroachment,” said Mallick. A target has been fixed and the State Police was moving in that direction, he added.
Khunti SP Ashwinin Kumar Sinha, where anti-Naxal operations have also been intensified, said the police have achieved a lot in the last few days which has helped immensely in information gathering from the common people.
“Besides providing security, we have also been able to provide a sense of security to the people living in distant remote areas due to which, the rate of inputs provided by the common man related to Maoists have increased remarkably,” said the SP. The anti-Naxal operations in Khunti was regularly been carried out intensely which has also helped police to build confidence among the villagers, he added.