Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review the government’s “development strategy” in the 60 Maoist-affected districts across nine states Sep 13.

“The main concern is to push developmental strategy in the Maoist affected areas. Rural road connectivity and land reform is a problem in these areas,” Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters Saturday.

The rural ministry is organising the meet.

While the prime minister will chair the concluding session of the day-long conference, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will open the meet, to be attended by the 60 district collectors.

Ramesh said the collectors want the government to push the prime minister’s rural road scheme and land reforms programme in the Maoist-affected areas.

“I toured the Naxal affected areas in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. There is a need to push rural development schemes to counter the menace,” said Ramesh.

The government will announce a special package for the 60 affected districts Sep 13, he said.

In order to deal with security related issues, the rural ministry will also rope in the Central Reserve Police Force’s engineering wing in these areas. Director General CRPF K.Vijay Kumar is expected to attend Sep 13 meet.

Officials said the government is planning a long-term strategy to deal with the Maoists as the Integrated Action Plan, being pursued as a short-term plan to push infrastructure projects for the past two years, will end March 2012. The 60 districts received Rs.55 crore each in the past two years under the IAP to push infrastructure projects in the short-term.

“We must look beyond 2012. Lack of governance and infrastructure is a breeding ground for Naxalism,” said Ramesh.

He said the district collectors also want to hire locals for implementation of developmental schemes.

Ramesh said slow progress of land reforms, including upgradation of land records by the state governments, is another area of concern.

Following discussion with the district collectors, the rural affairs ministry will present a set of recommendations to the prime minister Sep 13.

“Many tribals have been affected due to this problem. We plan to provide legal help to them,” said Ramesh.

The minister said government is planning a fresh survey to address the issue of land reforms as most of the land records in the country are around 70 years old.

The nine affected states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

–Indo-Asian news Service
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