Jaiswal offers Central aid to combat Naxal menace

Hyderabad, Oct 8 (UNI) Urging Naxalite-infested states, including Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, to emulate Andhra Pradesh which had brought Naxalism ''under control'', Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal today promised Central assistance to insurgency-hit states to tackle the menace.

''The Andhra Pradesh Government brought Naxalism well under control in the last three years,' he told reporters here.

''Individual states have to gear up the machinery. Only states with a will to curb naxalism will be able to succeed,'' he said, adding that the Centre was ready to give required financial assistance for modernisation of the police force and strengthen the police machinery, including the intelligence wing.

There was no scope for the Centre to act directly as maintenance of law and order ''is a state subject'', he said, adding that the Centre was ready to provide additional para-military forces to Naxalite-infested states.

UNI