Shortage of security personnel hampers Naxal operations: Centre

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai today hinted that shortage of security personnel had slowed the pace of operations against the Naxalites in the country.

"The Union government does not have adequate number of forces and it will take some time to recruit the personnel and train them before deploying in the Naxalite-infested areas," Pillai said here this evening.

The Union Home Secretary was here on a three-day visit to review the security situation in Naxal-infested Chhattisgarh. But steps taken so far to combat Naxalism were slowly yielding results, he said after visiting some Naxal-infested districts.

It is based on the calculation related to the recruitment of forces that the Union government is hopeful to eradicate the Naxal menace in the next seven years, he said.

"It is estimated that there is a shortage of about 3,50,000 security personnel in the states as against the sanctioned strength," Pillai said, adding that even if 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 personnel are recruited every year, it will take about five years to fill the vacancies.

The Centre was planning to raise 30 more battalions of the Central paramilitary personnel and it would take about five to six years, he added.

"The government is committed to complete the anti-Naxalite operations," Pillai said.

Asserting that the operations against the red army were yielding the results, Pillai said contractors were coming forward to take up infrastructure development works in the affected areas.

The Union Home Minister informed that 34 districts in the country were the worst Naxal-infested while 83 others were slightly or partially affected by the Left extremist problem.