Ranchi, May 31: The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the Jharkhand government has only now realised. For, in a move to keep its anti-rebel combat forces fighting fit and content, the state government has decided to recruit cooks to be stationed at 145 police stations in Maoist-affected areas.

According to DIG (personnel) R.K. Mallick, the government’s decision follows a series of complaints from the forces, that instead of concentrating on operations, they also had to deploy their own men to cook meals at various police stations.

“If after hours of combing operations, the men did not get proper food, you can’t blame them for being demoralised. So, we decided to man every police station, located in Naxalite-hit zones, with a cook and water carriers,” he told The Telegraph.

The state government has advertised for 374 cooks and 195 water carriers. Apart from 145 police stations in Maoist-hit areas, some of them would be deployed with special task forces (STFs) too.

In fact, 22 cooks would be deployed at the Jungle Warfare School that was coming up at Netarhat to train personnel in anti-Naxalite operations.

This was the first time the state government was recruiting cooks for police stations. And police officials admitted privately that the government must move cautiously as earlier attempts proved counter-productive in some cases.

And if some of the men in uniform were downright sceptical, they had their reasons. In 2005, some 70 cooks were appointed for the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP). But, around 24 cooks supposed to accompany the forces in anti-Naxalite operations were apparently cooling their heels in Ranchi cooking for senior officers.

Worse, some IPS officers, who were on central deputation, had taken their favourite cooks with them!

As per rules, a battalion was to be accompanied by two cooks, two water carriers, one sweeper and one barber. But this rule was being bent by several senior police officers to suit their convenience.

Inspector-general (JAP) Rezi Dungdung, who had requested senior officials to return the cooks meant for battalions some time back, refused to comment. But sources in the JAP said some cooks were still serving senior IPS officers.

Fed up with the attitude of the seniors, the state government, Mallick said, would soon introduce a “permanent follower system” which would ensure IPS officers get two orderlies, including a cook.

“The system is in practice in several states. Also, we will deploy cooks at other police stations next year,” he added.

Police stations in Maoist-infested areas would be the initial beneficiary of the government’s latest move. This would put an end to some peculiar complications and make their lives easier.

Till now, these police stations would often engage local boys to cook for them. “This practice invariably created trouble as the local cooks were being threatened by the rebels,” said a police officer manning one such police station.

“The rebels would threaten them. Either they would ask them to stop cooking for the police or double up as spies to provide them information about police strategy,” he added.

Mallick, who was also state police spokesperson, said the government’s latest move would put an end to the practice of running canteens on caste lines at various police stations and barracks.

“The move to provide cooks will ensure that even if he was a Dalit, all policemen would eat meals prepared by him,” he pointed out.