Chhattisgarh seeks seven battalions of CRPF for south Bastar districts

The Union Home Ministry had allocated seven additional CRPF battalions for Chhattisgarh in 2018

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking deployment of seven battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the state’s Left-wing insurgency-hit districts and installation of mobile towers there.

CM Bhupesh Baghel said the state government has adopted a three-dimensional programme involving trust, development, and security to win over the people of the Maoist insurgency affected regions. (Bloomberg)

“The Union Home Ministry had allocated seven additional CRPF battalions for Chhattisgarh in 2018. It was decided to deploy these forces in the worst Maoist [insurgency] hit south Bastar district of Sukma and Bijapur for effective implementation of anti-naxal operations and developmental projects. In the selected locations, [money]...has been disbursed for setting up battalion headquarters and work has also been completed at most of the locations. I have learnt that 10 CRPF battalions have been removed from Jammu and Kashmir. In this case, providing the 7 allocated battalions to Chhattisgarh immediately will help in effective implementation of anti-naxal drive,” Baghel wrote in his letter to Shah.

Baghel said the state government has adopted a three-dimensional programme involving trust, development, and security to win over the people of the Maoist insurgency affected regions. He added they were taking forward the development work to create a safe environment there and that the efforts have shown positive results.

Baghel requested Shah to organise a special army recruitment rally in Bastar and to form ‘Bastaria Battalion’ of the Central Armed Police Forces.

In August, Baghel wrote to Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar seeking Rs 1,100 crores for construction of steel bridges to ensure rural connectivity.