VIJAYAWADA: Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has explained to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the State government’s new wing -- Anti Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) -- and sought the Central government’s support for capacity building and formation of a joint task force with other States.
Anitha, along with Director General of Police (DGP) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, participated in the meeting organised by the Union Home Minister at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday to discuss Left-wing extremism (LWE). The meeting was attended by Chief Ministers, Home Ministers, Chief Secretaries and DGPs of the Maoist-affected States.
Anitha explained the necessity of forming the special wing and exuded confidence that the special task force will help in controlling the smuggling and abuse of narcotic substances such as ganja, drugs and others. She explained the working of ANTF and district teams in collecting the intelligence, network details, data of previous offenders and proposed plan of action.
Speaking to mediapersons, Anitha said she also made an appeal to the Union Home Minister to allot 800 special police officers to eliminate the LWE in the State, and sought `25.69 crore as reimbursement for the special police officials, which was paid as honorarium.
She also mentioned that five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) teams have been shifted from the State to perform other duties, and urged the Union Home Minister to re-allot the teams. “As many as 346 mobile towers were sanctioned to the State by the Centre as part of the Mobile Tower Project Phase-II and works are going on at a brisk pace with regard to 211 towers. I requested the Centre to take up the works of the other 53 towers on a war footing,” she said.
Proposals have been submitted to the Centre with regard to the construction of 1,455.23 km long roads and bridges in the extremist-affected areas. “We are expecting necessary orders on this very soon. In addition, 526 acres of land has already been identified at Relli in Kothavalasa mandal for setting up a Greyhounds training centre and the issue of this project clearance was also discussed at the meeting,” she added.