Home Ministry apprises anti Naxal plan to MPs of worst affected districts

New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): Union Government on Friday apprised MPs belonging to 33 worst Naxal-affected districts about its strategy to counter increasing influence of rebels.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram chaired the meeting.

Senior Home Ministry and Planning Commission officials apprised MPs about development schemes which are being implemented by the Centre in these districts and sought their cooperation in the task to deal with the Maoists.

Chidambaram briefed MPs about the gravity of the Maoist problem and steps being taken by government to deal with the menace.

Briefing media after the meeting Home Secretary G K Pillai said: "Planning Commission had given a presentation to the MPs about development schemes. Focus is entirely on flagship programmes of Government of India as implemented in the districts."

Some of MPs also shared problems of their respective areas with the Government and offered their help in implementing Centre's development schemes.

"The MPs spoke about their perspective on the issue and what role they could play in ensuring the better monitoring of various programmes," Pillai added.

As today's meeting could not cover all constituencies, the Home Ministry has expressed its desire to organize one more such meeting in mid May.

During the presentation, Planning Commission drew attention of the MPs to anti-development activities of Naxalites.

Naxals are indulging in destruction of school buildings, roads and telephone towers.

Of the 33 districts, 10 are in Jharkhand, seven in Chhattisgarh, six in Bihar, five in Orissa, two in Maharashtra, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

All these districts are underdeveloped and authorities believe that economic backwardness may drive many local people of these regions to join the Maoist ranks, the official said.

JD (U) MP from Bihar's Jahanabad, Jagdish Sharma urged the Government to take people into confidence while carrying out development projects.

"Government must take urgent steps for eradication of poverty, improvement of road connectivity, irrigation projects, PDS schemes etc. to get support of the common people," he said.

BJD MP from Orrissa's Dhenkanal, Tathagata Satapathy said government must ensure that the development schemes are implemented with utmost sincerity.

The meeting was held in the wake of the killing of 76 security personnel by the Maoists in Chhattisgarh on April 6.

Government has taken these 33 districts as focus districts to root out the menace from there and subsequently carry out developmental activities.

The Union Government has a committee to monitor development projects in these districts under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary.

The Committee conducts reviews on every month. (ANI)