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Taking cue from the success episode of driving away Maoists from most inaccessible place like Bhimbandh forest covers, police in Eastern Bihar now started concentrating for opening another security camp on hilltop Kharagpur range of hills.

Police in eastern Bihar actually  has started busy with strategies for how to eliminate the red ultras and also how to liberate the inaccessible topography mainly the hilly terrains with deep forest covers from Munger to Lakhisarai like Bhimbandh sanctuary from the clutches of Maoists. A Bhimband type camp of security personnel would be established atop Kharaghpur range of hills in the areas which still considered as the safe bastion of the red ultras.

After December 20 incident in which the Maoists managed to paralyze the entire rail system of Kiul-Sahebganj loop section of eastern railways after kidnapping an assistant station master and a porter from Masudan railway halt station, top cops have realized the urgency of a security camp on the hill top at the region from where the outfits use to operate so far.

Sushil Man Singh Khopde, inspector general of police (IG), Bhagalpur range told that orders have been given to complete the  selection of an appropriate place for the camp for security personnel within January 15 next. “The security camp in the patterns of the security camps at Bhimbandh (CRPF camp) or other strategic points in eastern Bihar districts with left wing extremism like Jamui, Lakhisarai, Banka ,  would be with full proof security and other required items so that it could serve all the purposes,” Khopde told.

“The SPs of Munger and Lakhisarai have been instructed for the suitable place and after January 15 final selection of the place would be done so that a proposal could be sent to state headquarters for final approval,” he told while adding that initially the camp would be established at an appropriate place which could cover the stretch of railway tracks from Dhanuri to Ratanpur of the loop section.

Most inaccessible topography.

According to the IG, many important aspects like accessibility, security points and availability of forces would also be the main factor in section of the site for the proposed security camp on hill top. “Like Bhimbandh or the other security camps in the strategic points, we also would have to ascertain that the camp could counter the rebels who have converted the hilly terrains as their safe corridors,” he said. Kharaghpur range of hills from Ratanpur(Munger) to Kajra(Lakhisarai) is interconnected with the parts of Munger, Jamui and Lakhisarai. The stretch of the railway tracks of from Dhanuri to Ratanpur is laying near the hill ranges  which make the outlaws easy to target the railway frequently, Khopde pointed out.

Khopde recalled how the than superintendent of police, Munger, K C Surendar Babu along with his six body guards were blown into pieces inside Bhimbandh forest covers on 2005 by the Maoists and tourists preferred to avoid the picturesque site of the sanctuary having hot water springs.  “The rebels virtually converted Bhimbandh forest covers as red corridors and used to take advantages of the inaccessibly of the topography of the region. They used to enjoy free movements to Jamui, Munger and Lakhisarai through the forest covers but after establishing the CRPF camp inside Bhimbandh on 2014, not only their movements were restricted but we managed to drove them back form that areas,” Khopde claimed.

Red ultras still rule the roosts in Eastern Bihar districts.

“The proposed security camp would also cut short the supply line of the rebels as they used to enjoy shelter and foods from the villagers who resides in such remote places. The villages far away from any government sponsored developments, shifted their royalties towards the ultras,” another senior cop pointed out.

Superintendent of police Munger, Ashish Bharati claimed that police already has started working in this direction. He  said that under the community service, Munger police has started organizing health check up camps in such remote villages like Bhimbandh village, Lariyatard etc which once known as the hub of the left ultras. “We somehow to restore the relationship with the residents of such remote villages those earlier diverted. In such camps we use to distribute necessary daily used items to the villagers and learning materials among children . The villagers who earlier used to give shelter to the rebels now have started sharing information of their activities with the police,” Bharati told.

A K Ambedkar, former IG, Bhagalpur earlier had raised such issues even before in high level meetings before chief minister, Nitish Kumar. “To counter the rebels at Eastern Bihar, the plights and miseries of the residents immediately should be address,” he said.