Maoists shadow looms large over tiger reserve here in latehar district. Sources said Maoists have stopped patrolling of PTR personnel with GPS. Sources said PTR personnel have been warned not to patrol with GPS.
Sources said the most affected part of PTR is Koomandi where no patrolling is done with GPS. PTR personnel are too afraid to carry it with them. Sources said Jaigir Pahar is another area of PTR where too Maoists have disallowed patrolling with GPS.
PTR has pressed in 117 patrol teams so far. It has an upper limit of 130 patrol teams.
Field director M P Singh of PTR said such an embargo not to use GPS in patrolling in Koomandi and Jaigir Pahar by Maoists has come to our notice. He conceded that a good chunk of PTR is thus left unattended with GPS.
Field director declined to make any further comments upon this issue.
Sources said one PTR staff carrying GPS was held up by CRPF on mere suspicion of being anything except a PTR man. However when ranger Ashok K Singh intervened and explained the identity and genuineness of GPS in the hands of the aforesaid PTR staff then only the CRPF let the held up PTR staff go free.
Sources said Maoists have disallowed use of GPS in PTR patrolling for fear of their getting identified or located as their tentage may come in the image of the GPS.
Sources said the PTR staffs over these years have learnt to work and do their duty without casting any glance at them or interfering with these forces living in the holes, hide outs and caves in PTR.
Ntably, Maoists have never targeted any ground staff/ official of PTR on charge of acting as informer or mole of police while the Maoists have slain score of general public in the last two decades here on charge of their being informer or mole of police.