Nawadih, a remote village in Rohtas district, was once a Maoist hotbed where they frequently held kangaroo courts to punish those who defied their diktat.

Even security personnel would not trudge there without proper groundwork till two years ago. On Sunday, a joint team of the Rohtas police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) held a 'police-public meet' in the village under the jurisdiction of the Yadhunathpur police station, around 280km southwest of Patna. Mithilesh Kumar, the commandant of the CRPF's 47th battalion, attended the meet.

At the meet, around 300 blankets, 100 dhotis, 50 saris, 100 torches and an equal number of emergency lamps were distributed among the 500 and odd residents from areas bordering Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Also, sports kits were given for free to students from the government upgraded middle school at Nawadih Kala.

Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Chandan Kumar Kushwaha, a Jawaharlal Nehru University alumnus, spent over two-and-a-half-hours with the students, who shot questions at him. He later appealed to the teachers to take their jobs seriously. Some students reportedly complained that teachers were not taking classes regularly. The SP promised adequate security. 'There is no need to worry about the Maoists. The police would lend full support to teachers who apprehend threats to their lives,' he told the teachers.

The SP also told them he has asked police station house officers (SHOs) in Maoist areas to take classes in government schools falling under their jurisdiction so that students and their parents feel free to exchange their views and share information.

Rohtas additional SP (operations) Sohail Ahmed said 232 special police officers (SPOs) have been enrolled in the district. About 70 per cent SPOs are deployed in Maoist-hit areas, enrolled at a monthly remuneration of Rs 3,000, an official said.

The SP also recommended installation of eight telecom towers to improve communication network in rebel areas of the district. The villages selected for the purpose have been identified as Dhansa, Soli, Taradih, all on the Kaimur plateau, and Yadhunathpur, Chutia, Nawadih Kala and Peer Kala on the plains.