Jhargram police have started 79 free coaching centres and deployed 457 police personnel as teachers to strengthen relationships at the grassroots in the former Maoist bastion.

Named Disha, the initiative was rolled out on Tuesday and 2,200 students have enrolled for free coaching.

“Students from Classes V to X will get free coaching at the centres that have come up in 79 gram panchayats in the district. We have deputed 457 police personnel, who hold at least a bachelor’s degree, as teachers. The cops who teach won’t be assigned other duties,” said Arijit Sinha, Jhargram’s SP. “The initiative will help us strengthen police-public relationship.... We will increase the number of coaching centres in future,” he added.

Sources said the initiative was significant as it had come in the backdrop of suspected Maoist activities in Jungle Mahal districts in the past few months. The police had recovered dozens of Maoist posters and a landmine from Lalgarh in the span of three months till May this year.

Police sources also said that the plan to set up free coaching centres would help the cops gather information on the ground.

During the poster recoveries, the police were in the dark about those behind such activities. But if the police have good links with people, it would be easy to trace out trouble-makers, insiders said.

“Apart from getting intelligence related to Left-wing extremism, cops would also come to know about local issues and demands. The coaching centre initiative will help the government figure out the next development plan for the people of the Jungle Mahal,” said a senior state government official.

The police have chosen local schools, clubs or a common place at a village for coaching centres.

“The coaching centres will operate six days a week,” said a police officer.

Madhabi Biswas, the sabhadhipati of Jhargram Zilla Parishad, also said the initiative would help build strong relationships between people of the Jungle Mahal and the government.

The Jungle Mahal comprises four — Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.

A strike called by the Maoist on April 8 saw a complete shutdown in Jhargram. The response raised the eyebrows of top officials in Nabanna as something like it happened for the first time since Trinamul came to power in 2011. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee sent DGP Manoj Malaviya to take a tour of Jungle Mahal districts, including Jhargram, to do a dipstick survey of the situation. However, during her visit to Jhargram last month, Mamata claimed there were no Maoist activities in the region.

She directed her party colleagues to reach out to people at their doorsteps.

Sources in police and local administration said the lack of communication with people living in former Maoist pockets was one of the reasons behind the sudden growth of suspected Maoist activities. “In many cases, Opposition parties and factions of the ruling party use the name of Maoists to raise their demands,” a police source said.

NTPC's mission girl empowerment

Picture by Samim Aktar

Power utility major NTPC under its “Girl empowerment mission” trained 120 Class VI students from 24 schools in Bengal’s Malda and Farakka in Murshidabad and Jharkhand’s Sahebganj.

At a programme held in Farakka on Wednesday, participants of the month-long programme staged cultural and yoga performances.

The participants, who come from schools in backward areas of the three districts in Bengal and Jharkhand, were trained in cultural performances, sports, yoga and martial arts.

NTPC group general manager Sanjeev Kumar, Udita Ladies Club president Maya Singh and PRO Tabina Waqaf were present at the programme.

Alamgir Hossain