Hyderabad: Sustained intelligence based anti-extremist operations led to decline in Naxal violence to the tune of 57 per cent in Andhra Pradesh in the last six months, which also resulted in the arrest of 106 Maoists, a top police officer said here on Tuesday.
"Naxal violence declined by 56.6 per cent between January and June this year as compared to the corresponding period in 2012," Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy told reporters.
Thirteen incidents, including four murders were reported in the first six months this year, as compared to 30 incidents reported during the corresponding period in 2012, he said.
Andhra Pradesh Police arrested 106 Maoists including one central committee member Anukul Chandra Naskar alias Gajanna besides 56 Maoist cadres surrendered, the DGP said adding that police seized Rs 14.64 lakh cash and 30 firearms.
There are around 340 underground cadres (from AP) and out of this 200 are operating in different states and remaining 140 are operating in bordering states of Andhra Pradesh, he said. "To apprehend those ultras the AP Intelligence units are actively working with neighbouring state police forces," he added.
Reddy said that during an anti-extremist operation recently, the `Greyhounds` forces--an elite anti-naxal commando force of AP Police, went around 32 kms inside Chhattisgarh and was successful in wiping out an entire Dalam.
"Apart from Chhattisgarh, the Greyhounds are also participating in inter-state operations against Maoists in Orissa and also in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra," the DGP said.
Reacting to a query on reported naxal connections with
red-sanders smugglers in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy replied in the negative saying, "We do not have any such report on linking naxals to red-sanders smugglers."
In the last two years, 15,000 police personnel were recruited and notification for 11,000 posts for recruitment of police constables and sub-inspectors will be issued soon, the DGP said.
On the forthcoming Gram Panchayat elections in the state (notification for which is likely to be issued very soon), the AP police chief said, "We are fully geared up to conduct the elections in a successful manner."
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), VSK Kaumudi said, "We will be making all efforts for the GP polls, so that it passes-off peacefully. Additional forces from neighbouring states will also be drawn, apart from deployment of large number of state forces."
On the coastal security, Kaumudi said, "We are getting a lot of alerts that sea route can be used to disrupt normal life and to attack assets in the country. Andhra Pradesh has set up all 21 coastal police stations sanctioned by the MHA and it has 18 fast interceptor boats."
PTI
