Govt gives green signal to set up helipads near FOBs in Naxal areas

The central government has given the green signal to build helipads near all the forward operating bases of CRPF in the Naxal-affected states, a senior CRPF officer told ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy on Wednesday.

New Delhi: The Central government has decided to set up helipads near all forward operating bases (FOB) of CRPF inside the deep forest of Naxal-infested states. A senior official from India's security establishment told ETV Bharat that the government has given the go-ahead to set up helipads near the FOBs.

"Helipads will be set up wherever it is possible. However, setting up such helipads depends on the location and clearance from the forest management," a top CRPF official said. According to the official, such helipads will be used in rescue operations for security personnel who gets injured during anti-Naxal operations. In fact, setting up such helipads in remote areas is a long pending demand of CRPF.

Security agencies engaged in anti-Naxal operations have also started setting up forward operating bases in the deep forest of Naxal-infested areas as setting up FOBs in deep forest areas have compelled the Maoists to flee from the area. "In most of the Naxal-infested areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana, Odisha, we have set up new FOBs to fight against the Naxals. As we enter into the deep forest, the ultras left their bases and escape to new locations," the official said.

Asserting that CRPF has got much success on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) as well as the J&K front, the official said that the agency had been emphasizing the use of drones along the India-Pakistan border. In a recent security review meeting in New Delhi, officials of all central security agencies emphasized the use of drone technology.

"It's a matter of concern that terrorist organizations have been using drones to supply arms and ammunition from across the border. Accordingly, we have strengthened our coordination between different security agencies so that we can foil the ill motives of the forces inimical to India's security," the official said.