Road constructions account for nearly 40 per cent of CRPF deployment in Chhattisgarh, making them soft targets
The under-construction road in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, where 25 CRPF men were massacred by the Maoists, has been missing several deadlines in the last three years, risking lives of many a security personnel.
An advisory, dated April 11, was sent to CRPF based on inputs gathered by Intelligence Bureau through Ministry of Home Affairs about the possibility of Maoists striking at road construction sites targeting the forces, sources told DNA.
However, the advisory did not mention any particular area.
According to recent intelligence inputs, those deployed to guard the road construction are most vulnerable to such attacks by the Maoists.
The Dornapal-Jagronda road is a 58-km stretch that connects to NH between Sukma and Andhra Pradesh.
This year, the CRPF suffered 38 casualties and all have been at the road construction sites that are turning into death traps for the force. “We are not losing men in anti-Maoist operations. Doing the same job day after day, guarding roads for months, exposes us to such raids,” said a CRPF officer.
“Why should the road construction take so long? The government should expedite these projects,” the officer added.
Attacking the force deployed to secure these roads seems to be the new strategy adopted by the red rebels in Chhattisgarh. Last year, there were only three casualties at road construction sites and in 2015 one jawan deployed at one of the projects was killed.
Road constructions account for nearly 40 per cent of CRPF deployment in Chhattisgarh.
‘No Army for anti-Naxal ops’
The government has no plans to deploy the Army to tackle the Naxals, notwithstanding reverses being faced by paramilitary and police, a Home Ministry official said.
“It is an internal security issue. There is no question of deploying the army in the anti-Naxal operations,” the official said.
Since the Naxal violence is considered as a law and order problem, paramilitary and police forces will continue to deal with the Maoists, the official said.
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