Chhattisgarh may sack cops dodging Maoist area postings

RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh, one of the states worst hit by Maoist insurgency, is thinking of suspending or dismissing from service 31 policemen who are declining new postings, mostly in Maoist hotbeds, an official said here Tuesday.

“The police headquarters has taken a stern view over deliberate delay by 31 policemen — 15 inspectors and 16 sub-inspectors — to join in new postings after they were transferred several weeks ago. Now they have been issued one-sided relieve orders,” Inspector General of Police Pawan Deo told IANS.

“The police department is mulling over a decision to suspend or dismiss them (from service) if they continue to lobby to get their posting orders in Maoists areas reversed,” a senior police officer said.

“These days it is becoming a trend in the state that every policeman uses all his contacts, even lobby through politicians, to get his transfer order in Maoist belt revoked,” he added.

He said that the 40,000 sq km mineral rich Bastar region, which has been considered the nerve centre of Maoist activities for three decades, faces shortage of thousands of policemen of all ranks.

According to him, the police officials prefer getting sacked rather than getting posted in the five districts — Kanker, Narayanpur, Bastar, Bijapur and Dantewada — considered as the `killing zone’ due to Maoists’ dominance of the area.