Centre assures all help to Chhattisgarh in combating naxalism

New Delhi, July 25 (UNI) The Centre today strongly condemned the brutal July 16-17 attack by Naxalites at Salva Judum relief camp and police station at Errabore in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh and said it would extend all help to the state government in firmly dealing with the menace.

''The state and the central governments are alive to the menace of naxalism and shall firmly deal with it. The governments remain committed to combating this problem,'' said a suo motu statement of Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the Rajya Sabha.

The statement was read out by Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal.

Salva Judum is a movement launched by the local people in June last year and represents local resistance against naxalites and their violent activities. Salva Jum has now spread to 645 villages in four blocks in Dantewada district.

Mr Patil said in the overall naxal violence up to June this year, Chhattisgarh alone accounted for over 44 per cent of incidents and over 62 per cent of casualties.

About the incident, he said a group of about 500 naxalites carried out multiple attacks at the relief camp, CRPF post, police station and the old village, all at Errabore, at 0045 hrs, killing 31 people, including three women and 2 small babies. Twenty others sustained injuries. They also torched some of the thatched hutments of the tribals.

''As inmates tried to flee, they (naxalites) inflicted upon them multiple stab injuries and even fired at close range,'' he said.

He said that during the last two years, the Centre had given to the state Rs 60 crore for modernising its police force and Rs 13 crore under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme.

Further, Rs 52 crore was sanctioned for raising four India Reserve (IR) battalions and Rs 165 crore under the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) for socio-economic development in the naxal-affected districts in the state.

Mr Patil said he had discussed the naxal situation in Chhattisgarh, particularly in Bastar region, with the Chief Minister, the Home Minister and some other officials on July 21.

''We have requested the state government to work out and implement short, medium and long term plans to enhance to enhance security given to the people in relief camps and other places, enhance developmental activities in villages and create an atmosphere conducive for return of people in camps to their natural habitats,'' he added.

Mr Patil said the Centre had set up mechanisms to bring about greater coordination among the naxal-affected states, and they had been asked to formulate and implement comprehensive and realistic action plans at the state and district levels.

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