Helicopters deployed to help inoculate forces camped in Naxal areas

New Delhi: Choppers have been pressed into service to ferry vaccines and vaccinators to the base camps of paramilitary forces posted in Naxal-affected districts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The Centre has framed special operating guidelines to inoculate paramilitary forces posted in the Red Corridor districts.

Vaccine vials and vaccinators are being transported by air to the base camps in the heart of Naxal-affected districts to inoculate jawans of the paramilitary forces. Paramilitary forces are included in phase II of the public immunisation drive, which started on February 3 and covers frontline workers.

After the first week of the drive, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh--the two states with the highest number of Left-wing extremism-affected districts--had told the Centre that security protocols were preventing vaccinators to enter paramilitary forces’ camps.


At the same time, the states said, if there is any movement of paramilitary troops in groups to reach vaccination centres, the jawans could become target of Naxal attacks.

In the districts where movement by foot is restricted, vaccinators are being ferried by choppers to the camps. According to sources, the Centre has allowed movement of the jawans in groups of ten to the nearest vaccination centre.