Infrastructure work stops as strike on Naxals nears

With the major offensive against Naxalites in offing soon after Diwali, contractors working in the red zone of Chhattisgarh have started winding up their work.

The Centre had been sending overt signals that the security personnel would launch a major offensive against the Naxalites active in parts of central India after the festival of lights. The ground work for the same has also started.

In Chhattisgarh, the worst-infested state, deployment of additional forces has already started. Besides the elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra)—the anti-Naxal wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), troopers of Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) have landed in the restive Bastar region.

The movement of force and the possible operation against the rebels had unleashed fear among the contractors working in the interior areas of Bastar. The contractors working on small projects in the areas have shut down their shops to ensure their safety.

“The big contractors have never taken up any major project while the small contractors doing infrastructure development works have also wind up their work, because of possible crack-down of security personnel on rebels,” a senior official with panchayat and rural development department, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard.

The bigger fear for the small contractors is that they will be under fire from both sides during such operation. According to one of the contractors, since they work in interior areas, security personnel will certainly quiz them to get inputs about rebels’ movement in the forests.

“And if the contractors fail to give any leads, he will be under the scanner of security personnel and if he does, Naxalites will not spare him,” the contractor said.

Since they are left with no option, the contractors have preferred to stop works and pack up from the area, he added.

Sources said that the security personnel in large number were likely to enter into the deep forests to take on Naxalites. The operation is likely to continue without pressure of deadline, stranding development works till it reaches a conclusive end.