New Delhi, July 21 -- The Centre and the state have set up at least 300 cell phone towers in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region across villages that have been freed from Maoist control in the last one year, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. Cell phone towers are a major point of contention between the security forces and the Maoist groups. For the government, setting up towers is a strategic priority. For the Maoists,destroying them is equally important. People aware of the matter added that at least 32 such cell phone towers were installed specifically within Abhujmad - a dense forest of around 5,000 sq km spread across Maoist-affected districts of Bastar region. This is where the last fight with armed Maoist cadres is underway - six Maoists were killed in a gunfight on Friday. Security forces have in the last one year entered parts of Abhujmad, which had never been mapped before and was controlled by Maoists all these years. A senior security officer posted in Chhattisgarh said, "These 300 cell phone towers installed in Bastar zone in the last one year were in areas which were planned on paper but government authorities could not enter due to security concerns. The government has said after taking control of villages from Naxals and setting up camps, cell phone towers along with hospitals are the first priority." Installing cell phone towers in areas freed from Maoist control is a priority for the state government and the home ministry to connect villagers with the government, who were cut off and lived under Maoist influence for the last 4-5 decades. A second officer said the forces are setting up towers near the security camps to avoid it being destroyed by Maoists. "Towers have been set up next to camps such as Kasturmeta, Kacchapal. Naxals also want to destroy towers as they think civilians inform security forces of their movement." The officer said installing the towers is necessary as villagers are returning to areas that have been freed from Maoist control....