By IANS
Raipur : A unified command will be set up in Chhattisgarh for better coordination among security forces in fighting Maoist rebels, Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced here Thursday.
He made the announcement after a marathon meeting with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister Raman Singh and senior officials of the central and state government at the Raj Bhawan late in the evening.
“The unified command will be headed by the chief minister and will establish better coordination between the state and central forces (fighting the Maoists in the interior areas of the state),” Patil told reporters.
The central government also decided to provide five battalions of central forces besides permitting to raise four India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) to tackle the Maoist challenge, Patil said, adding that seven armoured vehicles would also power the state’s operations against the leftwing radicals.
Chhattisgarh, the state worst affected by the Maoist violence, currently has 13 battalions of paramilitary forces and as many armoured vehicles.
Patil expressed satisfaction over the measures taken by the state to combat the Maoists. “The central government will provide all possible assistance to the state in its move (to combat Maoists),” he assured.