Zone of conflict will turn into zone of peace: Lt Gen Ahluwalia

Echoes PC on dip in naxal violence in CG

Military school to be opened in state

Army to launch massive recruitment drive

Raipur, November 16, 2011

Army’s General Officer Commanding in Chief of Central Command Lieutenant General VK Ahluwalia from Lucknow hopes that ‘zone of conflict’, i.e. the naxal-affected regions of the state will turn into ‘zone of peace’ in coming years. Echoing Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on sharp decline in naxal violence in the recent past, Ahluwalia on Wednesday told media that good governance, tight administration, empowerment of youth and better security provisions can bring peace and development in the insurgency-hit areas.

Clarifying that the Army had nothing to do with anti-naxal operations of paramilitary and police troops and solely intended to organise training camps for jawans, Ahluwalia said the Army was rather undertaking a number of civic actions in coordination with the local administration in addition to its operation oriented training.

“We are actually helping the district administration in providing basic facilities like health, education, potable water, upgradation of schools, desilting of ponds, etc to the locals,” Ahluwalia said adding that the Army received excellent response from the people who participated in large number in its endeavour.

He inspected the Army camps in the jungles near Kondagaon along with General Officer Commanding Madhya Bharat Area Jabalpur Lieutenant General RS Pradhan on Wednesday and appreciated all ranks for adopting professional approach during the second training cycle.

On commencement of training sessions in additional 500 square kilometers of forest land (stretching from Kanker to Narayanpur districts) being provided to the Army by the state government, Ahluwaia said the Army would first conduct joint survey of the region along with the state government’s Revenue department and ensure availability of all the basic facilities.

He informed that the Army was also planning to establish National School of Counter Insurgency Warfare (NSCIW) at Kondagaon to train paramilitary and state police forces to combat Maoists. “We have already imparted training to about 60000 jawans for anti-naxal operations. While under Central Command, we have imparted training to 45000 jawans,” he said. Presently, the Army provides training to the state and paramilitary forces at Belgaum in Karnataka and Wairangate in Mizoram.

Ahluwalia said considering no military school in Chhattisgarh and adjoining states, the Army had sent proposal to the Centre to open such schools in Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand. “The military school will be first opened in Chhattisgarh and then in other states,” he said.

Ahluwalia further informed that the Army also received overwhelming response from tribal youth during its recruitment rally in Kanker recently. “About 9988 youth participated in the recruitment rally. We also imparted them pre-recruitment training and for the first time we recruited about 320 youth,” he said.

The next army recruitment rally would be organised in Jagdalpur on November 25 and 26 and in Raipur on December 3. “Another recruitment rally would be organised in Jashpur in coming months,” he said.