Rajnath to review security in Maoist-affected states

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday began a day-long security review meeting here with Chief Ministers of Maoist-affected states -- days after the leftist rebels killed at least 25 paramilitary troopers in Chhattisgarh.

The day-long meeting was also being attended by the Secretaries of the Union Ministries, besides Chief Secretaries and Police Chief of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, a Home Ministry statement said.

"The Union Ministers in charge of Ministries of MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways), Railways, Civil Aviation, MoRD (Ministry of Rural Development), Power, New and Renewable Energy and Telecom will also attend."

"A holistic review of the situation will be undertaken covering a wide canvas of security and development issues, particularly infrastructure building," the statement said.

It also said issues like role of states in assisting paramilitary forces in their operations, raising and employment of India Reserve Battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion were expected to be part of the discussion.

It would also take stock of capacity building and intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, capacity building of state intelligence units and other Ministry-wise related matters, the Home Ministry said.

Following the April 24 Sukma attack, the government had vowed to review its anti-Maoist policy. The Central Reserve Police Force had moved its strategic command headquarters for anti-Maoist operations from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh.

--IANS

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