The menace of Naxalism will be wiped out from the State “soon”, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said here even as he emphasised that dialogue is always a preferable channel for resolution of conflicts.
Talking to The Pioneer, during the ongoing Atal Vikas Yatra that is underway from September 5 and will continue till October 5 across the State, Singh said, “I could not have said this 15 years back but now I can say it with conviction that the problem will be finished soon. The development push by the State Government, particularly, in the affected regions like Bastar, and the exposure of duplicity of the ultras’ ideology coupled with the security action have created favourable conditions for elimination of violence.”
The Chief Minister said he is even open to a dialogue with the Naxals to resolve the issue. “We are on a path to develop a new Chhattisgarh with rapid development of the State, especially areas freed from the influence of the ultras.”
On a question on administrative vacuum in Dandkaranya region still under the Naxal influence, he said, “Rapid development of the areas will be undertaken once they are freed from the ultras’ stranglehold. The focus of the Chhattisgarh Government is now on the Dandkaranya region both from the standpoint of security action as well as developmental push.”
On a question if a timeline for wiping out Naxalism can be fixed, Singh said, “It is an inter-State problem and the ultras often engage in guerilla tactics in one State and take shelter in another State. But the situation has significantly improved and we have even reduced the number of affected districts from 16 to 13. The violence is now restricted to the Dankaranya region and the tri-junction of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. The security forces are seized of the matter and appropriate strategy is in place as part of counter-action against insurgents. Naxalism has failed in Andhra Pradesh and it will fail in Chhattisgarh too.”
The CM’s emphasis on the Bastar region can be gauged from the fact that he has begun his Atal Vikas Yatra from the area where he addressed public rallies and meetings from his especially designed “Rath”. The improvement in the security situation in Bastar was clearly visible as the CM even mingled with the crowd at the rallies in Bhanupratappur in Kanker, Makdi in Kondagaon besides Sargipal and Asna in Jagdalpur district.
Highlighting the developments undertaken by his Government including construction of state highways besides the national highways and roads constructed for rural connectivity under the PMGSY and a host of Government schemes to cater to the requirements of the tribal population right from birth (allowance for pregnant and lactating mothers) to death (Government provides Rs 2,500 for facilitating cremation), he pitched for support for another term.
In a clear indication that the Government intends to exploit the improved security situation for development, the CM said the works undertaken in the next five years will be four-fold than what has been achieved during the last 15 years.
For a better communication interface, the Chhattisgarh Government has launched a Rs 500-crore plus scheme Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY) in the ongoing fiscal for distribution of 50 lakh smart phones out of which 15 lakh handsets have already been distributed, he said.
The Bastar region has now emerged as an educational hub with the establishment of integrated education facilities right from school education to vocational institutions like the polytechnic colleges and institutions of higher learning like medical and engineering colleges, the CM said adding the time is not too far when the tribal students from the region will become collectors and superintendants of police in Bastar region.
