State gets copters to fight Naxals
The Centre has decided to extend air support to six states for counter-Naxal operations. The states - Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand - will be able to use helicopters for purposes like evacuation of casualtie...
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to extend air support to six states for counter-Naxal operations. The states — Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand — will be able to use helicopters for purposes like evacuation of casualties, transport of security personnel and air-dropping of relief material, reports Our Political Bureau.
The decision to cover more Naxal-hit states by air support was taken at a meeting of the coordination centre on Left-wing extremism. Given the limited availability of choppers with the BSF air-wing, the states have been allowed to hire them from private operators. “The Centre will be reimbursing the states for use of aircraft in Naxal-hit areas,” Union home secretary VK Duggal, who chaired the coordination centre meeting, told newspersons.
The Centre has suggested that three-four neighbouring states form a consortium and take turns in hiring the aircraft from a private operator: this would meet the latter’s requirement for a minimum number of flying hours.
Maharashtra has eliminated eight Naxals, mainly in the worst-hit district of Gadchiroli, until July ’06, a significant improvement from a lone casualty in the corresponding period of last year.
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