No decision on use of air power against naxals yet: PM

In the wake of worst-ever naxal attack,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday that all options in fight against maoists like using air power are ‘reviewed’ from time to time but no decision has been taken yet on it.

“I think,the policy has to be reviewed practically from time to time,learning from experience. (But) we are too close to the event to take a view that the existing policy needs to be modified,” he told reporters when asked whether the government was planning to revisit the anti-naxal strategy.

Asked whether use of air-power was being considered,Singh said,”All these options are kept open and continuously reviewed…. As of now,we have not taken any view in this direction.”

Singh was talking to media persons at Rashtrapati Bhavan after presentation of Padma Awards. Naxals struck in a big way in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday,killing 75 CRPF personnel.