NEW DELHI:The Centre is likely to tweak the strategy against the Maoists to neutralise their influence in the worst-affected districts, spread across 10 states. In the first phase, the Centre is planning coordinated operations to sanitise eight districts of Chhattisgarh - Bastar, Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Rajnandgaon. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called an urgent meeting on February 9 with four states - Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Maharashtra - to devise the strategy to launch anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, top sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
“Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of these states are expected to attend the meeting. Government is looking at adopting a completely new tactic by roping in the bordering states even when the operation is launched in only one state. This is to ensure that escape routes for Maoists are made inaccessible and easy crossing over that they have been doing for over the years is effectively blocked,” sources said.
According to the MHA, Chhattisgarh witnessed 236 Naxal attacks in the last year in which 82 casualties were reported.