Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 20, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/170636/Red-tide-rising.html
CAG says States not doing enough
The latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General
is a severe indictment of the State Governments of those States affected by
Maoist violence for not doing enough to modernise the State Police forces
despite funds being available. This goes to show that the Maoist threat is
not being taken seriously. In its review of police modernisation in 16 States
where there have been several Maoist attacks since last year, the CAG has
found that the State Police forces have been handicapped in their battles
with Maoist terrorists. This is largely due to the grave lapses in the proper
utilisation of funds, weaponry, communications and training. For instance,
Andhra Pradesh, according the review for the period 2002-2007, utilised only
13 to 38 per cent of the funds meant for police modernisation. This means
that many of the police stations in the sensitive areas of the State did not
even have proper transportation vehicles, and the police personnel had to
make do with outdated weapons. States such as Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand
have been similarly culpable with funds not having been properly utilised.
The CAG has also not ruled out the misappropriation of funds on the part of
some of these State administrations. Thus, it appears that it is not just
the Centre that has allowed the Maoists to flourish by following a soft policy
towards them, but it is also the State Governments that have been complacent
and have not taken appropriate steps to tackle the problem. The result has
been that today a large area in central India, stretching from the eastern
districts of Maharashtra all the way to Jharkhand, has been infested by the
Maoists. And the security forces have not been able to defeat them despite
their best efforts.
The Maoists have also used State borders to
their advantage to escape the anti-Maoist operations in one State by moving
across to a neighbouring State. Information gathered from Maoist insurgents
has revealed extensive plans for the destabilisation of India and for spreading
anarchy. The security forces have even stumbled upon plans for a Maoist penetration
of urban pockets in various parts of the country. The recent Maoist attacks
on the day of the first phase of Lok Sabha polling and in the weeks preceding
it, were meant to undermine Indian democracy. It also demonstrates all that
has gone wrong with the anti-Maoist operations in India. Over 2,281 civilians
and 821 security personnel have been killed due to Maoist violence between
2004 and 2008 along with much destruction of public property. The police forces,
in their present condition, can hardly be expected to take on the Maoists.
It is, therefore, for the concerned State Governments to heed the CAG report
and do the needful by providing the police forces the right equipment and
training.
