The Union home ministry has declined a Bengal government plea to retain 35 companies of central forces in Jungle Mahal, prompting the state to request the Centre to reconsider the withdrawals from the area that was once a hotbed of Maoists.

“We have sent a second letter a couple of days ago requesting them (the home ministry) to keep the forces in Jungle Mahal. We have pointed out that the withdrawals might re-ignite the Maoist problem in the areas that border Jharkhand (where the rebels have bases). We are awaiting a reply,” said a senior state official.

About two weeks ago, the Centre had informed the state that the 35 companies — around 3,000 personnel — would be pulled out and deployed for elections.

The state government had opposed the decision and cited intelligence reports that the rebels were trying to regroup in Jungle Mahal as Maoist leaders were visiting the area regularly from neighbouring Jharkhand. According to the state government, the presence of the central forces ensured the Maoists could not make much headway in the area in the past couple of years.

“We sent the second letter making it clear that the (withdrawal) decision could be disastrous for the country’s internal security,” said another state official.

A senior central official, however, said the Centre had a “strong logic” for the pullout of the forces from Jungle Mahal that earlier comprised three districts.

“Three districts — Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore — of Jungle Mahal have been taken out of the security related expenditure (SRE) scheme, a centrally sponsored programme to undertake development projects in Maoist-infested districts. This happens only when Maoist problem is not reported from a district in the past three years. So, if the Centre wants to withdraw central forces, there is a strong logic,” said the bureaucrat.

But a Nabanna official said that withdrawing all the forces from Jungle Mahal is not justified as Jhargram, a new district carved out of West Midnapore, is still under the SRE scheme.

“This means there are some problems in Jhargram. Moreover, we cannot allow the Maoists to regroup in the area,” the official added.

Sources said that the state government officials have been informed that the forces, withdrawn from Jungle Mahal, would be deployed in various districts of Bengal during the elections.

“But we were not assured that the forces will be redeployed in Jungle Mahal after the polls. So, we have opposed the move,” said a source.

Another senior official said the poll panel had to arrange adequate central forces for the Lok Sabha polls and doing so wasn’t easy in the post-Pulwama period.

Poll observer

The Election Commission-appointed special central police observer Vivek Dubey is expected to arrive in Bengal on Sunday and hold a series of meetings on Monday, followed by several district tours, ahead of the first phase of polling on April 11.

Sources said the IPS officer would handle all key aspects, especially deployment of central forces.