The state government would not withdraw forces though it announced to halt combing operations since February 20 following abduction of Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, a senior home department official said.
Though Orissa government has stopped combing operations against Maoists, it has no plan to withdraw central para-military forces or police from areas dominated by red rebels, official sources said today.
This was decided at a meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik last evening.
The state government would not withdraw forces though it announced to halt combing operations since February 20 following abduction of Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, a senior home department official said.
Though there had been poster campaigning by ultras in many parts of the state including Koraput and Malkangiri, no untoward incident was reported during the past 10 days, he said adding the government had decided to adopt a policy of "wait and watch" before taking any further step.
"According to commitments made to the mediators, the state government will not take any coercive step till peace prevailed," chief secretary BK Patnaik said earlier.
Besides 12 battalions of central para-military forces (seven battalions of CRPF and five battalions of BSF, adequate number of Orissa police's elite anti-Naxalite force - special operation group (SOG), India Reserve Battalion (IRB), District Voluntary Force (DVF) and special police officers (SPOs) were also deployed for anti-Maoist operations.
Now with the state government deciding not to execute operation green hunt, these forces would keep a watch on the movement of Maoists and their activities, the official said.
"Presence of BSF and CRPF in naxal-hit areas is itself an indication that the state government will act if required," he said.
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