Airbase at AOB to tackle Maoists?

Bhadrachalam: The police officials are understood to have been contemplating setting up of an airbase to tackle the Maoists in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) effectively.

According to sources, a decision to this effect was taken in a crucial meeting of police officials of Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh held at the Police Coordination Centre at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh on Thursday.

National Security Advisor Vijay Kumar reportedly took part in the event as the chief guest. Earlier, the police officers left for Jagdalpur by a special helicopter, which took off from the helipad at Purushottamapuram.

Ambar Kishor Jha, SP of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, Sunil Dutt, ASP of Bhadrachalam, Bhaskaran, SP of Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district, Rahul Hegde, SP of Yeturunagaram, reportedly took part in the meeting.

The SPs of Dantewada, Jagdalpur, Sukuma, Bijapur and Narayanapur districts and in-charge Inspector General of Police Sundar Raj and others reportedly attended the meeting.

The police are understood to have felt that the March-June period as the most suitable period to launch a debilitating attack against the Maoists.

They learnt to have discussed ways and means to implement development programmes in the Maoist-affected areas. Discussions also said to have veered around the steps to be taken to nullify the impact of Maoists in Dandakaranya and AOB regions.

The police officers of the three States understood to have prepared an action plan to initiate steps to strengthen the information network.

The meeting also learnt to have taken stock of Maoist activities in the inter-State boundary region of the three States.

At the end of the meeting National Security advisor Vijay Kumar and Jagdalpur SP RS Das left for Koraput by a special helicopter, it is learnt.