Anti-Naxal ops: ROPs with binoculars must before VIP travel

Road Opening Parties (ROPs) with binoculars have to carry out a mandatory sanitisation exercise ahead of VIPs travel in Naxal-hit areas, a new set of guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry has said.
The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) circulated to all state police forces and central security agencies come in the backdrop of the May 25 Naxal ambush in which top Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh were killed.
Prepared by a committee of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), the guidelines said that all precautions have to be taken during widely known programmes like VIP visits, elections, among others.

"Highest level of alertness should be observed in sensitive areas before, during and after the visits of VIPs. On such occasions (VIP visits), Road Opening Parties are a must," the SOPs on issues related to explosives, IEDs and landmines in Naxal-affected areas stipulate.
BPRD is the central organisation under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for research and it frames best practises for police forces and security agencies in the country.
The new guidelines, prepared after deliberations and discussions with Army and police experts, have also mandated that ROPs should be armed with binoculars.

"During a VIP visit, ROPs should open up the area and pickets may be placed at vantage positions, if possible with binoculars," the SOPs said.

The guidelines also mandate use of jammers during VIP travel.
"Jammer should work on all possible threat frequency bands and prevent detonation of remote-controlled IED. Jammer should be checked for its operation before deployment," the SOPs stipulate.
Security forces like CRPF, BSF and ITBP which are operating in the Naxal-hit areas are implementing the guidelines and have circulated them to all formations.