'15,000-strong Maoist army posing threat'

T'PURAM: The Maoists who have grown into an army of over 15,000, with sophisticated weapons smuggled illegally from neighbouring states like Nepal, have become a major threat to the country, particularly in and around Jharkhand where the system of law and order is yet to mature, according to Union Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar.

In an exclusive interview to this website's newspaper here on Saturday, the high-profile IAS officer from Kerala said his focus would now be on the North-East where the infiltration of Maoists was increasing day by day.

His observations gain importance against the background of the violence in Nandigram where organised Maoist activism challenged existing government institutions.

Chandrasekhar was the first Union Cabinet Secretary to visit the Naxal-prone areas in Jharkhand and moot a development initiative to counter the menace instead of using force.

Newindpress