E-GoM meet to revise strategy on naxalism

New Delhi, Feb 15: An Empowered Group of Ministers would meet on February 19 to revise the strategy to contain incidents of naxalism in the country and devise measures to effectively deal with the challenge of naxal menace.

Development process in the naxal, affected state would be deliberated extensively at the meeting as lack of development, land reforms and unemployment is considered as the major cause for naxalism. The demand of naxal affected states for more forces is also likely to be taken up at the meeting.

The EGoM meeting would be chaired by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Law Minister H R Bhardwaj and Tribal Welfare Minister and many other union ministers would participate in the meeting.

The meeting assumes significance in the context of the preparation of the General Budget for 2007-08 which is expected to announce a slew of programmes targeting the developmental needs of the backward and naxal-infested areas.

The focus of the meeting would be Chhattisgarh which has been the epicenter of the naxal incidents recently. In other naxal infested states there has been an improvement in the situation due to increase in the police response and pressure on Maoist groups by destroying their infrastructure.

Earlier, a meeting of the task force on naxalism was held on Feburary 13 to review the naxal situation during 2006, The meeting had decided to lay special emphasis on investigation and prosecution of the Maoist leaders and cadres as an effective deterrence. The 15th meeting of the Task Force was chaired by Additional Secretary (Anti-Naxal cell) Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary (Internal Security) L C Goyal and Naxal nodal officers from nine naxal-affected states had attended the meeting.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the naxal situation was under control in all states except Chhattisgarh, where six police personnel were killed in an attack in South Bastar district on February 8. The task force felt that the increased naxal activity in Chhattisgarh was due to "greater offensive" by naxal outfits to "derail" Salva Judum (local anti-naxal movement).

The Home Ministry has already requested the states to further streamline inter-state joint operation, launch pin-pointed intelligence collection and sharing among states and finetune action plan wherever it is required.

It has been decided to fill up all the vacancies in state police force in a time-bound manner and fully utilise funds under the Police Modernisation Scheme. Under the Scheme, Rs 385 crores have been sanctioned for naxal-affected states during this year. Another Rs 100 crores are also being released for them.

UNI