Centre announces special allowances for paramilitary personnel fighting Naxals

October 5th, 2009 WAGAH - The Director General (DG) of the BSF, Raman Srivastava, today said that the Government has decided to strengthen the Border Security Force by deploying other paramilitary soldiers along with them to fight Naxalites, who have emerged as one of the biggest threats to the internal security of the country. Talking to reporters on Monday at Wagah after inspecting the border area of Punjab along with Pakistan, the BSF DG informed that the jawans of the CRPF would join the BSF in the Maoist infested states for anti-Naxal operations.

September 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Home Mnister Chidambaram has suggested that government will launch an all out offensive against the maoists. The Govewrnent sources, however, have said that Government has not yet zeroed in on a strategy to be adopted against the Naxals.

September 19th, 2009 DANTEWADA - Five more bodies of personnel of the elite anti -Naxal force Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) have been recovered from the Dantewada Forests in Chattisgarh. A major offensive was launched against the Naxals following specific intelligence inputs about them being present in the forest.

September 11th, 2009 SUNDERGARH - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik promised to take strict action against the Maoists who blew up at least four government buildings, a community centre and a mobile tower at Kalta village in Sundergarh district on Thursday. Talking to reporters here, Patnaik said, "We will certainly deal with them and everyone should remember that these Naxals are anti-national criminals and they should not be tolerated in any civilised society where they are breaking the most essential and critical laws of our country." The attack was carried out during the 24-hour shutdown called by the Maoists demanding release of 30 cadres arrested earlier.

July 27th, 2009 BHUBANESHWAR - The Government of Orissa has appointed 2100 Special Police officers and raised four battalions of the India Reserve Police to fight Maoists in the State. The decision has been taken by the State following the killing of 74 security personnel and 22 civilians in 56 incidents across the State in 2008.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday proposed an additional sum of Rs.430 crore (Rs.4.3 billion), over and above the provisions in the interim budget, for the modernization of state police forces and also earmarked Rs.2,284 crore (Rs.22.84 billion) for construction of fences, roads and flood lights along the international borders. Presenting the financial budget for 2009-10 in parliament, Mukherjee said that paramilitary personnel will also get special risk/hardship allowances at par with the defence forces.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a bid to modernize country's paramilitary forces, Centre will provide arms, ammunition and vehicles worth 500 crore rupees to seven paramilitary forces by September end. According to the Action Plan -II of the Ministry of Home Affairs, orders worth 500 crore rupees will be processed by the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) and Ministry of Home Affairs.

June 17th, 2009 Lalgarh (West Bengal) (ANI): The Maoist have blocked access to Lalgarh in West Bengal putting up a three tier human shield, including women and children to prevent entry of central paramilitary forces, who are planning free the area from them. According to police sources, the Maoists have formed a three-tier human shield with women and children in the vanguard, men behind them and armed naxals at the rearguard.

May 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Centre has provided 2500 personnel of para military forces to Punjab in order to bring the strife-torn situation to normalcy. It has also assured the State of more assistance if required.

May 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Defence Ministry has extended the package of special concessions and facilities to employees of the Central Government and its PSUs working in the Kashmir till the yearend. The Defence Ministry said the allowances admissible to civilian employees till June last year have been extended after a review by the Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Training and the Ministry of Finance.

May 11th, 2009 DHAMTARI - Two policemen were killed and five others injured in a landmine blast in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari District on Monday. According to police, the blast took place when the Naxals blew up a police vehicle carrying the personnel in Risgaon village under Sihawa police station area.

April 23rd, 2009 RANCHI - A few hours before polling for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections began today, Naxals struck a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp and blew up a railway station in Jharkhand. According to police, the Naxals attacked the CRPF camp in West Singhbhum District.

April 22nd, 2009 PATNA - Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were engaged in a war of words on Wednesday hours after Maoists struck in four places in Bihar and Jharkhand. "The entire Nitish Kumar Government is a failure in Bihar.

April 22nd, 2009 RANCHI/ PATNA - With just a day left for the second phase of general elections, the Naxals have attacked at several places in Bihar and Jharkhand to impose a shut-down in the two states. The latest incident has happened in Jharkhand this morning, where the Naxals took 700-800 people hostage as they were travelling in a train from Barkana in Jharkhand to Mugalsarai in Uttar Pradesh.

April 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has killed nearly 30 Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district in an encounter, which took place on Friday. CRPF, however, lost its 10 personnel including a Deputy Commandant during the incident.