New Delhi: Around 2,000 personnel of Sashastra Seema Bal have now been deployed by the Centre for anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand.
“The Centre, through the Union Home Ministry, has decided to step up operations and usher development works in the state which is under President’s rule at present,” security sources said.
The about 2,000 personnel, constituting two SSB battalions, will be deployed at Ranchi and Jamshedpur and will supplement the efforts of the CRPF and the state police who are already involved in the same task, they said.
The battalions have been trained by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in jungle warfare and counter-IED skills and techniques apart from undergoing rigorous drills in their own centres.
Jharkhand already has about 16 CRPF battalions and the Centre wants to develop and clear more areas like the Saranda forests in order to bring in the state machinery and wipe off the effects of Maoist violence.
The SSB, which is designated to guard the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, used to be a part of anti-Maoist operations till October of 2011 when they were withdrawn from Chhattisgarh, where they used to guard Salwa Judum workers. (PTI)