Chidambaram condemns companies for paying Maoists
November 15th, 2011 - 10:59 pm ICT by IANS
Raipur, Nov 15 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday condemned the corporate sector for paying “protection money” to Maoists so that they can operate in mineral-rich areas like Chhattisgarh.
“Small contractors or traders paying ‘protection money’ could be understandable because of the situation prevailing in the interior areas but big corporate houses paying ‘protection money’ is highly condemnable,” Chidambaram remarked after presiding over a marathon meet here to review anti-Maoist strategy in the state.
He made the observation when scribes sought his views on the arrest of a few people linked to Essar Steel, which allegedly paid guerrillas in Dantewada district.
Chidambaram admitted that there has been a decline in Maoist activities in Chhattisgarh, but cautioned the government against complacency, as the state still reported roughly one-fourth of the country’s total Maoist incidents.
“Chhattisgarh is among the two most affected states as far as leftist extremism is concerned. There is a decline in number of incidents, number of civilian casualties, number of securities forces casualties… and overall Naxal activities have come down in the state,” the minister said.
Commenting on the dip, he added: “It may be the case where the forces are either not entering forests to take on the Maoists or the rebels are avoiding confrontation with forces.”
Earlier, opposition Congress handed over a memorandum to Chidambaram as soon as he landed in Raipur airport.
“Chhattisgarh’s BJP government has lost control and administrative access in a large areas of the state. In its eight-year rule, the Maoists expanded their base hugely because of gross misuse of funds and resources provided by the central government to tackle Maoist militancy,” the memorandum read.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and top officials of the home department and police headquarters, besides officials of the paramilitary forces, including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Vijay Kumar, attended the meet at the state secretariat.
Official sources said Chidambaram discussed in detail ways to step up development works in Maoist areas, mainly in the state’s southern tip of Bastar.
The minister also held deliberations on intensifying joint combing operations on the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
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- Essar under scanner for paying Maoists - Sep 15, 2011
- Essar official held for funding Maoists - Sep 28, 2011
- Rights activists demand release of suspected Maoist sympathiser - Sep 11, 2011
- Apply Chhattisgarh's special security law to Essar, says Congress - Sep 23, 2011
- Suspected Maoist conduit arrested in Delhi - Oct 04, 2011
- Essar officials questioned over payment to Maoists - Sep 20, 2011
- Chhattisgarh conducting intelligence operations against Maoists - Jan 05, 2012
- Soni Sori, Lingaram: Maoist conduits or police trap? - Dec 25, 2011
- Chhattisgarh to sign MOU with Railways for new project - Feb 17, 2012
- Lingaram Kodopi and Soni Sori: Chhattisgarh's prisoners of conscience (Special Report) - Aug 04, 2012
- Suspected Maoist conduit's judicial custody extended (Lead) - Oct 05, 2011
- Maoist violence down, says Chidambaram - Jun 14, 2011
- Security up in Chhattisgarh as Maoists to boycott R-Day - Jan 25, 2012
- Abducted Chhattisgarh collector traceless - Apr 22, 2012
Tags: bjp government, chief minister, civilian casualties, complacency, corporate houses, corporate sector, essar steel, extremism, gross misuse, guerrillas, home minister, interior areas, maoist, maoists, opposition congress, paramilitary forces, police headquarters, protection money, rich areas, scribes