In a significant development, the Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday evening effected a reshuffle at the top-level police adm-inistration divesting ADG of police (Naxal operation) R.K. Vij of his charge and creating a special director-general of police post to oversee counter-insurgency measures in the state. Mr D.M. Awasthi, a 1986 batch IPS officer, has been appoi-nted special DGP (Naxal operation), besides being assigned the charge of the state IB. Mr Vij, who has been shifted as ADG (planning and provisioning and technical services), was reportedly critical of the manner in which surrenders of Naxals have been carried on in Bastar in the past few months by the local inspector-general of police S.R.P. Kalluri, bringing to surface rift in the top level police administration over the issue.
In fact, a couple of days back, Mr Vij, a 1988 batch IPS officer, announced that cases of 200 out of total 800 surrendered Maoists, recommended for rehabilitation in recent times, have been rejected after scrutiny, reportedly upsetting the Bastar police.
Police sources requesting anonymity told this newspaper that the reported dissension at the top level police administration that threatened to derail anti-Naxal operations in Bastar at a time when counterinsurgency in the restive region has reached a decisive stage, has been taken note of by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which reportedly wanted chief minister Raman Singh to address the issue urgently.
Incidentally, the Wednesday’s reshuffle followed transfer of inspector general of police, state intelligence bureau (SIB), Dipansu Karba as Sarguja IG a couple of days ago.
Mr Karba has been holding the post for the past three years. In fact, SIB had come under sharp criticism when Naxals ambushed a Congress convoy on May 23, 2013 at Jiram Ghati in Bastar district wiping out frontline leaders of the party in the state.
