Patna, Oct. 14: The Bihar government has decided to use the services of the Indian Army to train police personnel to counter Maoists spreading their tentacles in fresh areas and resorting to guerrilla warfare against security forces on a stepped-up scale.
“Also, the government has decided to appoint 5,000 former army servicemen in police ranks,” said the additional director-general of police (headquarters), Neelmani, adding: “We will take army’s help to train cadre especially in guerrilla warfare.”
Sources revealed that the Danapur cantonment has agreed to impart out-door training to the policemen.
The rebels have caught the state policemen unawares in at least six raids this year alone and have snatched 28 firearms. As many as 24 policemen have lost their lives in these attacks. The police top brass feels that Bihar’s set up was not specifically trained in Maoists warfare.
The government has also decided to open counter insurgency and jungle warfare schools at Dehri-on-Son, Katihar, Bodh Gaya and Darbhanga, so-called Maoist hubs.
The government has set in motion processes to militarise police units engaged in counter-Naxalite operations. The Nitish Kumar-led government constituted Special Auxiliary Police, primarily is made up of former army servicemen between 40 and 45 years and has decided to appoint 5,000 more personnel.
The state recently added 10 more units to the Special Task Force (STF) with each unit comprising of 40 jawans armed with Insas and AK-47 rifles. The state previously had only 10 STF units. Now, there are 20.
Sources in the home department revealed that the state is proposing to sanction Rs 102 crore for this training and modernisation of the force.
Maoists were earlier confined to Magadh division and Old Sahabad in south and central Bihar. According to police sources, now the rebels have spread their operations in several north Bihar districts including Khagaria, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Sheohar on the India-Nepal borders.
They have also launched attacks on pickets in Jamui and Munger in the recent past, demonstrating firepower in districts bordering Jharkhand.
As many as 31 out of the 38 districts are believed to have rebel presence.
