JOIN USThe Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to Maoist-affected states, cautioning them against mindlessly deploying security personnel during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The MHA said the emphasis should be on quality personnel rather than quantity.
In a recent letter to nine Maoist-affected states, made public on Thursday, the ministry noted that there were more security forces than necessary in some places.
The MHA’s directive came after an analysis of force deployment in Chhattisgarh during last November’s Assembly polls, which were peaceful.
Larger numbers could end up being a liabilty in some places, said the MHA. Also, some of the troops were not experienced in dealing with the Maoists.
"Consequently, the security forces of states with no Left Wing Extremism orientation were deployed, which resulted in problem of ensuring their own security," the letter said. The ministry suggested that in the 33 hyper-sensitive districts, called ‘A’ category districts, the emphasis should be on the quality of the forces rather than just large numbers.