By IANS
Raipur : Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal Wednesday advised the Chhattisgarh government to show will power like the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to crush the Maoist insurgents.
“Andhra (Pradesh) was the worst Maoist-affected state of the country three-four years back, but it showed the will power and determination and now it’s almost insurgency-free state,” Jaiswal said to reporters here.
He was referring to Andhra Pradesh’s move to build up infrastructure in the insurgency-hit pockets and raising special anti-Maoist force Greyhounds that has largely been credited with stamping out leftist insurgents from the state.
Rejecting Chhattisgarh’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s charges of inadequate support and back-up from the central government for tackling the Maoist insurgency, the minister said: “Whatever support Chhattisgarh sought, the central government has been provided. There are a total 13 para-military forces battalions in the state and recently the BJP government sought five more battalions, of which we have sent four and one more is coming soon”.
He advised the state government to create infrastructure, mainly of roads, and work on regular joint operations against the insurgents with Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states.
Jaiswal suggested that Orissa state too could be included in the joint offensive for more successful results.
Jaiswal was on a daylong trip to Chhattisgarh to attend a farmers’ rally in Durg district organised by the Congress party.