Govt to send 5,000 CRPF personnel to trace Andhra Pradesh CM

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) The Indian Government has
decided to send about 5,000 CRPF personnel for a combing
operation in naxal-affected dense forests to trace Chief
Minister of southern state Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajashekhara
Reddy, whose helicopter went missing an hour after it took off
carrying him from state capital Hyderabad Wednesday.

Home Ministry officials said five battalions (about
5,000 men) of the Central Paramilitary Force will be pressed
into search operation on the route over which Andhra Chief
Minister was to fly.

The troops will carry out a massive combing operation
in the dense forests of naxal-infested Kurnool district.

The CRPF personnel will be called from neighbouring
Chhattisgarh and Orissa, the officials said adding the first
batch of these men is expected to reach soon.

Chief Minister's Principal Secretary S Subramanyam and
Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley and two pilots were also
on board the twin-engined government helicopter that lost
contact at 9.35 AM IST when it was headed for Chitoor
district, over 600 kilometres from Hyderabad. PTI ACB
PMR