Chhattisgarh CM seeks seven more CRPF battalions, mobile towers to fight Naxalism

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday asked the Centre to dispatch seven CRPF battalions, which were sanctioned for the state in 2018, for deployment to strengthen the fight against Naxal menace.

An official said, Baghel, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, also sought installation of 1,028 mobile towers in Naxal-affected areas, which were already approved for the state, to improve telecom connectivity.

In the letter, Baghel has sought Centres cooperation for effective implementation of the states strategies to eliminate Naxalism, the public relations department official said.

The Union Home Ministry had allotted seven additional battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for Chhattisgarh in 2018 and it was decided to deploy them in the worst Naxal-hit region of south Bastar, comprising Sukma and Bijapur districts, Baghel said in the letter.