Conceding that the situation in Jharkhand is almost out of control, the Union Home Ministry has decided to provide five more companies of central paramilitary forces to combat Naxalite violence in the state. A similar request from Chhattisgarh, which has accounted for the bulk of killings over the past few years, is under consideration, the ministry said after a series of meetings on Tuesday. The additional forces for Jharkhand will, however, be available only for a limited period and are likely to be withdrawn after specific anti-Naxal operations.

In an indication of its growing impatience with the states failure to use existing forces optimally, the ministry has directed them not to use central personnel for normal law and order or static guard duties such as deployment outside government buildings. “Use Central forces only for targeted operations,” was the message that went out on Tuesday.

According to official figures for last year, the two states accounted for nearly 68 per cent of incidents and over 75 per cent of the total casualties in Naxalite violence in 2007. Chhattisgarh has 13 batallions (nearly 13,000 personnel) and Jharkhand five battalions (nearly 5,000 personnel) of central forces, mainly the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Chhattisgarh has been at the forefront when it comes to demands for additional Central forces, claiming it needed a huge number of personnel to clear Naxal strongholds where the state police held little or no sway.

Last week, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal had sought to give a political colour to the Naxalite problem, claiming that the problem had been 90 per cent contained in states other than Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. The BJP was in power in all these states, barring Jharkhand, he had pointed out.

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