Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) New Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General K. Vijay Kumar Wednesday said he was open to making “structural and procedural changes” in his paramilitary force to meet “multi-faceted challenges”, primarily the Maoists.

“Changes, both structural and procedural, can be considered” to make the CRPF’s functioning effective, Vijay Kumar said at a press conference at the paramilitary’s headquarters here soon after he took over as director general.

However, policy-level decisions will be taken only with the approval of “my higher-ups like the home minister (P. Chidambaram)”, he added.

Vijay Kumar said the CRPF personnel were not “demoralised to tackle the Maoists”, who have some advantage because of the “silence of villagers”.

“The villagers may be silent because of fear,” he added.

The director general said the removal of CRPF bunkers in Srinagar was part of the eight-point peace plan approved at the “highest level of the central government”.

“We will see how it works. If it does not work, we will see what is to be done,” he said.

Kumar said the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir was an issue to be decided at the higher policy level.

“We are hopeful of tiding over the challenge posed by Maoists,” the new CRPF chief said, adding that the paramilitary will constantly review strategies to tackle the ultra Left-wing rebels.

“We need the help of all, especially the media,” Vijay Kumar said.

According to him, it was the media images that created public perception about the Maoist movement.

Earlier, outgoing CRPF director general Vikram Srivastava handed over the baton to Vijay Kumar at a ceremony at the headquarters.

An IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, 58-year-old Vijay Kumar shot to fame when he headed the special task force (STF) against forest brigand Veerappan, who was gunned down in October 2004.

Asked how he compared the new assignment with his achievement of hunting down Veerappan, he said: “No two situations can be compared, though there can be lessons learnt from every incident.”

Vijay Kumar was serving as director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, till the new appointment.

He has also served with the Special Protection Group team that provided security to then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, and the Border Security Force - posted as the inspector-general of police (operations) in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s.