Buddhadeb to visit Maoist-affected areas Saturday

Kolkata, Nov 2 : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will Saturday visit West Midnapore district, hit by Maoist violence, to review law and order and progress of development work, an official said Monday.

"During his stay in West Midnapore, the chief minister will review law and order situation there and the two adjoining districts Bankura and Purulia," Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters here.

The chief minister will be on a two-day visit to the district.

Sen was talking after a high-level meeting of the chief minister, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty and senior police officers.

The meeting took stock of the situation in the three districts, especially the forest areas, most of which are considered Maoist strongholds.

Sen said an additional six companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will reach Lalgarh in the next couple of days.

Asked about reports that many people and groups, apart from Maoists, have stockpiled arms in the three districts, the home secretary said: "If we receive a specific allegation, we will take steps against the offenders."

The West Bengal government has deployed a large joint force of central paramilitary troopers and state police personnel to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh, where the Leftwing rebels had virtually established a free zone by torching police camps and driving out the civil administration and the ruling Communists.

Maoists are active in areas falling under 21 police stations in the three districts.