According to sources, the CRPF has taken the initiative to set up the helipad at Bandowan, which is considered to be a stronghold of the Maoists.

The aerial survey was conducted by Vijay Raman, Additional Director General of CRPF and Aloke Raj, IG, CRPF. According to Raj, they conducted an aerial survey for a few hours along the Bengal-Jharkhand border. The CRPF team also visited Balarampur, where they have been deployed for a long time now.

A day before Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is scheduled to hold a meeting with chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states in Kolkata, the CRPF has already begun its groundwork at Purulia to launch an offensive.

It is expected that the CRPF camp would also be reinforced at Bandowan and Balarampur after Chidambaram’s review meeting. In the past, Maoists have carried out several operations from Bandowan that shares a border with Jharkhand. A senior police officer of Purulia district said the geographical location of Bandowan is very important from the counter-terrorism point of view. It will be easy for the Central and state police forces to maintain vigil on Jharkhand, Belpahari in West Midnapore and Ranibandh area of Bankura from Bandowan.