Chopper to be stationed in Nagpur for anti-naxal ops: Mah CM

Nagpur, Dec 14 (UNI) The Centre has agreed in principle to station a helicopter at Nagpur for anti-naxalite operations, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here today.

In an informal chat with mediapersons at 'Ramgiri,' his official residence, Mr Deshmukh said the Centre had not yet decided whether to get a military helicopter or to hire one for the purpose.

The state government had made the request to station a chopper here so that security forces could be rushed at a short notice, whenever and wherever needed to fight naxalites, he explained.

The chief minister pointed out that the state government had launched several programmes to boost development in the naxalite- infested districts of the state. The government considered the naxal menace a socio-economic problem rather than one of law and order, he clarified.

The police departments of the naxalite-infested states remained in constant touch with each other and exchanged relevant information, he revealed.

A Cabinet sub-committee had been formed to examine the state's cotton policy, the Chief Minster Several meetings of the sub-committee had been held to come up with a fresh policy on pricing, he added. Disclosing that a proposal from the sub-committee was likely to be brought before the Cabinet here tonight.

The committee is headed by state Marketing Minister Harshavardhan Patil, who has earlier assured the Legislative Assembly that a fresh policy would be announced during the ongoing Winter Session here.

The incidence of suicides by farmers in Vidarbha due to mounting debts had decreased after the state government implemented relief packages, promised initially by the state in December 2005, and then by the Prime Minister on July 1, Mr Deshmukh asserted.

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