Police stations in naxal-hit Maharashtra districts declared sensitive

Reviewing threat perception from Maoists in two Naxal-infested districts of Maharashtra, the state government has declared several police stations, armed outposts and the office of a top cop in the Naxal hotbed as 'very sensitive' for the next two years.

In Gadchiroli district, 10 police stations, 14 sub police stations and 29 armed outposts have been declared as very sensitive. Whereas six police stations and eight armed outposts in Gondia district have been categorised in the same bracket, a senior home department official said.

According to police, deputy inspector general (Naxal range) Sunil Ramanand's office in Gadchiroli and C-60 commando units, bomb detection and disposal squads, dog squads, Naxal control rooms, Wireless departments and eight police sub divisions in both the districts are also under the naxal radar following which these units were also declared as very sensitive points.

Since 2009, Naxals had killed over 50 police personnel in state, police said.

"The very sensitive tag will be there for these police stations and other places till 2013. A review meeting would be held again after two years where it would be decided whether to lift this tag or not," said a senior police officer.

The purpose of declaring these areas as sensitive was to make sure that police remain alert, the officer said.