By IANS
Ranchi : Jharkhand will soon raise a special force called the Grey Hound on the lines of the one in Andhra Pradesh to fight Maoist guerrillas in the state, police officials said.
“The special task force will be raised on the lines of the Grey Hound force presently in operation in Andhra Pradesh. The Special Task Force (STF) personnel of Grey Hound will be used exclusively for the purpose of tackling Maoist rebels,” a police official said.
Chief Minister Madhu Koda has already cleared the raising of the special force, said state home department sources.
In the first phase, a platoon of 1,250 commandos will be raised. The commandos, aged between 22 and 27, will be selected from the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP).
After the age of 27, these commandos will return to regular police service and will get an additional salary.
“These forces will be trained professionally so that they can fight in any circumstances. These commandos will be used in guerrilla warfare and will challenge Maoist rebels in their den by launching surprise attacks on their bunkers, training camps and other hiding places,” a police official involved in anti-Maoist operations told IANS.
These commandos will have nothing to do with law and order problems. At present, police officials are deployed for both anti-Maoist operations and controlling the law and order situation.
Maoist rebels are active in 16 of Jharkhand’s 22 districts. Nearly 950 people, including 310 security personnel, have been killed in the last six years in Maoist-related violence.