The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : YSR to approach Centre for help

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 15, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR to approach Centre for help

Special Correspondent

State moves to counter naxal threat

HYDERABAD: The State Government is planning to seek sophisticated weaponry and assistance from the Centre for taking up airborne surveillance to track movement of underground Maoist cadre who are "not prepared to accept the olive branch" being extended by the Government.

The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, will convey his Government's wish list to the Union Government at the conference of Chief Ministers in New Delhi on Friday.

He will be carrying with him a detailed note on the law and order situation and the preparedness of the State in combating left wing extremism.

Job scheme

Supply of modern arms and ammunition will dominate his list as these are "essential to train the police and special forces to a very high alert level." In spite of this, Dr. Reddy will continue to lay emphasis on resuming the peace talks with the Maoists.

He plans to explain to the Centre the success of his Government's scheme to provide employment to rural youth in extremist-affected areas.

Some 1,000 youth from these areas have already been provided employment and the aim is to recruit at least 50,000 more in the next six months.

The Chief Minister will also highlight the `movement' of Maoist cadre from the North to Andhra Pradesh in recent times.

This, he will attribute to the failure of the Maoists here in strengthening their cadre locally contrary to apprehensions in some quarters.

The spurt in naxal violence in the State in the last one month is being interpreted as a sign of their frustration at not being able to make any headway in recruitment of cadre.

The violence had come down after the police launched search operations in and around the Nallamala forest.

The note explains to the Centre that the police are in a combat-fit mode and can disturb and destabilise the Maoists in their strongholds with ease.

But, lack of adequate forces could slow down the operation.

The lower level force also needed training in using sophisticated weapons which could go a long way in minimising casualties in anti-naxal operations. Two Central reserve battalions will be sought at the meeting.

Dr. Reddy left for New Delhi on Thursday evening and is expected to return on Friday.

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