Security for voters in Maoist-hit areas

BARIPADA: The police and CRPF of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand would soon intensify intelligence-based operations in the border areas ahead of the panchayat polls in the State. The Government has decided to take a tough stand as rebels have been trying to dissuade voters from participating in the elections and urging people to boycott the polls.  The Maoist-hit districts of Balangir, Malkangiri, Koraput, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj have been reporting such incidents.Attending the third Border Coordination Meeting (BCM) at Baripada on Wednesday, IG (anti-Naxal operations) YB Khurania said security would be beefed up and joint combing operations intensified in the vulnerable areas. “Round-the-clock vigil is being maintained along the borders  abutting Jharkhand and West Bengal. All measures have been taken keeping in view possible Maoist attacks during the panchayat elections,” he said. The Maoists have a record of striking before polls. They had eliminated a ZP member and a former ZP president in Malkangiri on the Assembly elections-eve. Sources said police and CRPF jawans will be deployed in Jamda, Tiring, Jashipur, Rairangpur, Bahalda and Deuli areas of Mayurbhanj besides other Maoist-infested districts. Rajnagar under Sareikala police division of Jharkhand is more vulnerable as Maoists easily sneak into Mayurbhanj and set up of their networks there. The DIG (Eastern Range) of Odisha, Sanjay Kumar, said the operations would be carried out jointly by police and CRPF battalions of the three states in a coordinated manner. Besides, we have decided to hold coordination meeting at least once in two months to decide on further course of action.“As Maoists have urged people to boycott the polls, we will deploy CRPF jawans and police in the Naxal-hit areas during the election days so that the voters can exercise their franchise without fear,” he said.CRPF DIG of West Bengal TN Khuntia, Balasore, Baripada, Jamshedpur and Jhargram SPs Rajesh Kumar, Soorya Thankapan,  Akhileswar Jha and Gourav Sharma, Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) SP of WB Manoj Verma and Commandant of 189-BN Rajesh Kumar were present along with senior cops and CRPF officials of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.