Police should not travel in bus in Bastar: HM

     Raipur, September 2, 2009: Chhattisgarh Government today asked its policemen not to travel in buses in Bastar to avoid damage of the vehicles by the Maoists.

     The state government never wanted harassment to the people of the state and that was the reason why it was not in favour of its policemen travelling in buses in naxal areas, Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar told reporters here.

    The Maoists had recently asked the bus owners, plying in Bastar region, not to take policemen as passengers else their vehicle would be damaged.

     However, the bus owners had decided not to ply buses in those areas as they said they cannot ask policemen not to travel in their vehicles and if any policeman was boarding their vehicle, the Maoists would burnt that and in that condition the safest thing was not to ply buses in those areas, the bus owners said.

     Meanwhile, the Home Minister also said he was quite hopeful within a year or two the naxal menace would be solved in the state.

     The naxal menace would be solved in a year or two the way the Centre was also taking action against the rebels, Kanwar said.