Odisha seeks 2 More CAPF Battalions to fight Maoists

Even as the CRPF has decided to withdraw its forces from the areas where Maoist activities have subsided, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has requested the Centre to deploy two additional battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to curb the “rising” Maoist menace.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Naveen has drawn attention to the fact that the situation in Malkangiri, Koraput and Nuapada remains a big challenge for the government. The Maoists pose a big threat in these districts and to the security personnel deployed in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he said.

The CM sought the deployment of additional forces in Nuapada and Malkangiri districts, saying it would conduct meaningful anti-Maoist operations in the new areas.