Purulia, Aug. 29: From distributing food and clothes to planting trees and organising football tournaments, police have rolled out a slew of schemes to win back the confidence of villagers in Naxalite-infested Bandwan block, bordering West Midnapore and Jharkhand.

An invisible wall had sprung up between the residents and the security personnel in the wake of arrests following the People’s War ambush of a police convoy last October.

Nilmadhab Das, the officer-in-charge of Bandwan police station, was killed in the attack in Kantajora forest.

Residents of the area lived in fear as security forces started detaining people for questioning. The villagers even stopped collecting kendu leaves and babui grass, their only means of income.

“Since July 1, we have started intense patrolling in the region,” said R. Shiva Kumar, the district superintendent of police. “But this patrolling is not just for security reasons. We have instructed the patrol commanders and the policemen to enquire about the problems faced by the villagers.”

The policemen are now aided by Border Security Force jawans in the anti-militancy mission. Shiva Kumar said: “We have started the process of winning back the villagers’ faith by telling them that we will stand by them and help in solving their problems.”

On Independence Day, Shiva Kumar, Ashoke Rakshit, the joint block development officer, Om Prakash, the district forest officer, . Holai, the BSF assistant commandant, and other officials distributed fruits, clothes and footballs among residents of Gurpana village.

Shiva Kumar promised to help the villagers in development projects and urged them to inform officials about problems. A government doctor visits the villages every day, after villagers complained about lack of medical facilities.

“The police are good now,” said Sunil Mandi, a resident of Gurpana. Nilmani Kisku of Dulukdih village said: “Earlier, we used to collect leaves and grass while fearing that we would be picked up. Now that is not there.”