By IANS,
Raipur : Amid latest intelligence reports of Maoists making inroads in new areas of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh Wednesday held a high-level meeting to discuss the security situation.
The meeting was attended by state Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar, chief secretary P. Joy Oommen, home secretary N.K. Aswal and director general of police (DGP) Vishwa Ranjan.
Raman Singh suggested to the home department to strengthen the police force.
“The government is highly concerned about latest inputs saying that Maoists have been making serious inroads in news areas of the state – mainly in Korba, Raigarh, Mahasamund and Raipur districts,” a police officer told IANS.
He added that Maoists, who dominate in Chhattisgarh’s seven of the total 18 districts, have in recent months made considerable base in several new pockets and issued dictates to local youths to either join the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) or face death.
Around 2,100 people have lost their lives in Maoist violence in the state, since it erupted in November 2000. The rebels had carried out the biggest ever attack in Dantewada district in April this year and massacred 76 policemen.