Bhubaneshwar: Often criticised for being unsuccessful in their endeavours to fight Maoists, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday claimed that it was not
always defensive against the left wing extremists.
"No, CRPF is not always defensive. It is sometimes defensive and sometimes offensive due to tactical reasons," CRPF Director General K Vijay Kumar said while winding up his two-day visit to Orissa here.
"One cannot generalise situations in all Maoist-hit areas," he said.
Kumar, who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, expressed satisfaction over the cooperation being extended by the state government to the para-military force.
"They are doing what needs to be done. There is positive interaction between the CRPF jawans and Orissa police personnel," he said.
Earlier in the day, the CRPF DG visited Maoist-hit Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput districts where jawans have been deployed and interacted with field officials.
Kumar, who came to Orissa after visiting Chhatishgarh and West Bengal, said different circumstances prevailed at different places. Therefore, local commandants took decisions
depending on the ground situation.
"You cannot give a uniform or one line answer to a situation in the three Maoist-hit states," he said. Kumar said that better success could be achieved by working together.
Eight CRPF battalions comprising about 4,320 personnel have been deployed in the Maoist-hit areas in the state.
The BSF also has five battalions in the worst-affected Malkangiri and Koraput districts, official sources said.
On CRPF`s plan to raise special battalions to fight against Maoists, Kumar said "everything cannot be said at this stage."
PTI
