Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday directed authorities to carry out anti-Maoist operations by taking the local population into confidence, a government official said.
Addressing a meeting of the unified command here at the New Circuit House to review the security situation and development works in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit areas, the CM also asked them to expedite development works in such areas.
"The government's three-pronged strategy of trust, development and security has resulted in a decline in Naxalite activities,” an official release quoted the CM as saying in the meeting. Better coordination between state police and Central forces has expedited anti-Maoist operations as well as development works in these areas, due to which the confidence of people has increased in the government, the release quoted him as saying.
Setting up police camps in core areas to tackle the menace has helped provide facilities like roads, culverts, schools, electricity, and public distribution shops (PDS) in the interiors of Jagargunda, Kistaram, and Bheji (Sukma district), Pamed, Basaguda and Tarrem (Bijapur), he said.
The chief minister said Palli (Narayanpur)- Barsoor (Dantewada) state highway number 5 that connects Narayanpur, Kondgaon, and Bastar, which was shut for a long time, has been opened. "Carry out anti-Maoist operations by taking locals into confidence and at the same time complete ongoing infrastructure works within the stipulated time," he told officials.
He also instructed officials to monitor the borders with Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha to check the interstate movement of Naxalites, the release said.
The official statement said issues related to the welfare of security personnel deployed in these areas were discussed in the meeting, which was attended by state Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Juneja, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Subrat Sahoo, among others.