Jharkhand seeks Rs 100 cr to build infrastructure for STF

Jharkhand, which is under President’s Rule since June 2, has sought Rs 100 crore from the Centre for building infrastructure facilities for the Special Task Force (STF) for fighting against Naxalites over a dozen districts in the state.

Governor MOH Farook, who represented the state in a conclave of chief ministers of Naxalite affected states, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday requested the Prime Minister to include three more distrcts, Ranchi, Khunti and Giridih in list of affected districts comprising Chatra, Palamau, Latehar, Gumla, Simdega, Lohardaga, Chaibasa, Bokaro and Hazaribagh.

Addressing the conclave, Jharkhand governor expressed satisfaction over the Centre’s role by increasing central paramilitary forces from 36 to 72.

Farook said the state has given sanction of 40 groups of STF, of them 18 groups were operating actively in association with central paramilitary forces.

The Governor said that he had ordered for vacating the school buildings occupied by security forces.

Recently, a state home department report showed that Jharkhand witnessed a sharp rise in the number of casualties, both in police and Naxalite camps during the past three years.

According to the report, nearly 310 Naxal attacks had been reported in 2007, which increased to 512 in April 2010.

In Naxal-related violence, 463 civilians were killed in Jharkhand during the past three years. Till April 2010, 43 civilians were killed by the Naxals.

The number of policemen killed from 2005-2009 has also increased. In 2006, 45 policemen were killed, which rose to 64 in 2009. Besides, incidents of landmine explosions by the Naxalites, encounters, incidents of levy collections by the rebels were rapidly increasing.

In Sarjamdih, a Naxal den under Bundu police station about 40 km from here, a different story was witnessed.

The 11th CRPF battalion’s 104-member strong ‘D’ Company, comprising 100 jawans and four officers who are camping at the area’s only state-run, Sarjamdih Madhyamik Vidyalaya since November last year, have been taking classes and prepare meals for the students. Only 40 students were attending the school before the CRPF camp was put up there. Now, daily attendance of the students has increased to over 200.

The school was suffering from funds, shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff. It was in the midst of closure.