Home secretary holds meeting on anti-naxal strategy in Bastar

Union Home Secretary A K Bhalla on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district to discuss anti-Maoist strategy and development works in the naxal-affected region.

The Bastar division, comprising districts of Bastar, Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Kondagaon and Narayanpur, has been plagued by insurgency for the last three decades.

"An elaborate discussion was held on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and related issues during the meeting at the Bastar collector's office in Jagdalpur," a senior police official said here.

The meeting was attended by Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Arvind Kumar, Director General of Central Reserve Police Force Rajiv Bhatnagar, state Chief Secretary Sunil Kujur, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home C K Khetan, ACS Panchayat and Rural Development R P Mandal and Director General of Police D M Awasthi, he said.

Collectors and Superintendents of Police of all seven districts of Bastar division and senior officials of the CRPF posted in these districts were also present, he added.

The strategy against the Maoists and development works being carried out in the insurgency-hit area were reviewed, the official said.

Emphasis was laid on the need to improve road and mobile connectivity and state officials were also directed to expedite development works, he said.

Stress was also put on enhancing coordination among naxal-affected states in operations against the rebels, the official added.