Government's focus on strengthening police to fight Maoists: Pillai

Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said that strengthening the state police to fight the Maoists is the cornerstone of the government's policy.

Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai on Thursday said that strengthening the state police to fight the Maoists is the cornerstone of the government's policy.

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Pillai was replying to a question on the ministry's stand on using the army to contain Naxals, hours before a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to deliberate upon the home ministry's proposal for greater role of the army in tackling Maoists menace.

"I think basically the whole strategy has been to strengthen the state police to be able to fight the Maoists. The whole focus of our strategy has been that our paramilitary forces would help the state government and the state police forces to restore civil administration," Pillai told NDTV.

"This remains the corner stone of our policy and we have finetuned some of the issues in the light of development that should take place. And I think it is better to wait till the cabinet committee takes a view on the proposals," he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened the crucial meet, which will be attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna.

Manmohan Singh will chair the key meeting.