Kolkata:
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday admitted that there was definite lack of alertness on the part of the forces leading to the massacre of 24 jawans by Maoists in West Midnapore district.
"There was breach in preparedness and lack of alertness," he said at the state headquarters in Kolkata while announcing that an enquiry has been ordered to find out how the Maoists could carry out such an audacious attack on the Silda camp housing the Eastern Frontier Rifle (EFR) jawans on February 15.
"I decided to order an enquiry. We want to know the whole truth" including possible intelligence failure, Bhattacharjee, who holds the home (police) portfolio, said.
Terming the attack as heinous, the chief minister said "It was carried out by Maoist squads not only from our state but also from neighbouring states."
(Read: Alerts about Naxals didn't save 24 policemen)Asked from which states the Maoist squads came, Bhattacharjee said that it was subject to enquiry.
He said that most of the firearms and ammunition at the camp had been looted by the Maoists after killing the EFR jawans and setting the camp on fire.
A two-member team from the Union Home Ministry has made an aerial and ground survey of Silda and neighbouring areas, which have been afflicted by the Maoist menace, Bhattacharjee said.
"Another team will be coming to visit the area and hold talks with the state government on the situation," he said, adding the state was working in close co-ordination with the Centre in this regard.
"On the evening of the incident itself, I had telephonic talks with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and I was in contact with the state chief secretary," Bhattacharjee, who could not come to office for the last two days due to illness, said.
The chief minister denied that the attack was a setback for the joint operations to combat Maoist extremism, saying "we are on the offensive."
Bhattacharjee said that he has not yet decided on whether he would visit Silda. The families of the jawans killed and injured have been demanding that the chief minister visit the camps there to see in what conditions they operate.
Regarding shifting and fresh construction of camps, he said it should be a place away from densely inhabited places so that proper vigil can be kept.
"We have identified the place and construction of the camp will be completed as soon as possible," he said.
The Silda camp was located inside a health centre in the midst of a market place.