State protecting Salwa Judum leaders in Chhattisgarh: Raman

New Delhi, July 13: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ramankumar Singh today defended the controversial "Salwa Judum" movement launched in the Bastar area, saying the the state was merely protecting those leading the counter-insurgent movement which was a backlash against the terror unleashed by Naxalites.

Replying to a reporter's query regarding the "Salwa Judum" movement launched last year in the Naxal-prone tribal area, the Chief Minister was emphatic that due to the Naxal activities, there had been little progress in the tribal areas for the past 20 years.

On the charge that the controversial movement was state-sponsored, he defended it saying that the state was merely protecting those leading the movement as Bastar's tribals wanted an end to Naxalism as it had deprived them of roads, schools and ownership rights of land.

Dr Raman Singh, who was interacting with the capital's journalists at a Meet-the-Press programme at the Indian Women Press Corps, fielded questions ranging from Naxalism to development and mining policy.

Referring to Chhattisgarh's mining policy, Dr Singh said he has conveyed to the Prime Minister the need to receive ad-valorem royalty on the iron ore mined in the state as "Chhattisgarh's economy cannot change until it gets royalty on minerals mined".

Inviting investment in Chhattisgarh, Dr Singh said the concept of value-addition will benefit the mineral-rich state, that so far, had failed to benefit from its own mineral wealth.

Dr Singh said so far the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) was receiving 65 per cent of the state's best iron ore deposits. however, there was a proposal to enter into a joint venture with NMDC to set up a sponge iron plant next year. As far as coal mining was concerned, the Chief Minister told the journalists that the state reserved the right to retain 30 per cent of the power generated for its own consumption.

On the state's industrial policy, he clarified that the Bharatiya Janata Party Government was going all out to invite investors to set up iron ore mines in areas where no industries exist.

Till now, iron ore deposits were being transported to Japan and South Korea. But, the Chief Minister expressed himself against what he termed as these "one-sided agreements".

By 2010, Chhattisgarh would add 10,000 MW power capacity.

Priority was being given to infrastructure development such as road upgradation, pump connections and rural electrification.

The state was also emphasising on bio-diesel development, Dr Singh proclaimed adding that for the past eleven months he was using jatropha to fuel his Tata Safari vehicle. In fact, he said, 5,000 cars would soon be equipped with bio-diesel and jatropha cultivation extended to 40,000 hectares soon.