Escalating Maoist violence has forced the government to order the redeployment of security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations in the states to prevent exposing paramilitary forces to the well-armed rebels in their strongholds.
In Chhattisgarh the CRPF and state police have identified locations for redeployment of the CRPF, affecting 10 to 12 companies (1,000-1,200 personnel). Redepl-oyment will follow in Orissa and West Bengal. In Jharkhand, deployment has already been reviewed. Sec-urity forces have been told to adhere to a grid pattern to reduce distances between troop posts, incr-ease deployment in some posts, and shut down other posts keeping in view safety and operational requ-irements, government sources said.
A government official said CRPF personnel are being told to employ withdrawal tactics in situations where they feel inadequate fighting huge bands of Maoists wielding weapons like the AK-47 assault rifle. CRPF personnel are also being told not to venture out of camps unnecessarily. “Emphasis is being laid on basic facilities being made available inside the camps. The forces should move out only for operational needs,” an official said.
Inputs from Chhattisgarh reveal that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for deployment have been blatantly violated by state and Central forces. Reports suggest that Central forces were deployed in Naray-anpur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada and Rajnand-gaon districts in Chhattisgarh on the basis of assessments made in 2004 and 2006. Despite a number of attacks, and casualties, in the last few years in Chhattisgarh, SOPs on deployment of Central forces have not been reviewed for many years. “SOP clearly says the deployment plan of the Central forces should be finalised by the concerned state or district authorities in consultation with the force commander of the CPMF deployed for the purpose. The force commander is hardly ever taken into confidence while finalising deployment plans. Reports suggest the force commander was not taken into confidence when deployment was extended in Narayanpur,” sources said. Sources added that it is standard operating procedure for paramilitary forces not to be deployed for normal law and order duties or static guard duties during long-term deployment.
“What is the use of continuous deployment of more than 5,500 paramilitary force personnel in Kanker district, and more than 1,000 in Rajnandgaon district? Their deployment must be reviewed immediately,” sources said.