Jharkhand has made a case for police-public partnership in development as an effective antidote against left wing terror that has now engulfed as many as 18 of a total of twenty-two districts in the state. It has also urged

the Centre to sanction modern equipment and more battalions to effectively combat the menace.

In a brief meeting held today with Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Madhu Koda underscored the need for a greater role for the police in development. “This would be beneficial on several counts as the peoples' trust in the police would be reaffirmed, besides having access to information which is so crucial to dealing with Naxalism,” Koda said, and added that such a mechanism would be tried out for the first time among all the thirteen states faced with the armed movement. The details of the plan would be worked out and submitted to the Centre within a month.

Jharkhand has also requested training facilities for its police personnel, more landmine detectors, anti-landmine and bullet-proof vehicles to prevent offensives similar to the one five days back that killed 14 policemen. It demanded at least 20 more companies of central paramilitary forces in addition to more funds under police modernisation and security related expenditure.

The Centre, however, stuck to its earlier position that was conveyed during the visit of the three-member Home Ministry delegation, immediately after the blast in Bokaro.