Chh'garh for Rs 4553-cr scheme for development of Naxal areas

NEW DELHI: Plagued by the Maoist problem, Chhattisgarh Government has submitted to the Planning Commission a Rs 4553-crore scheme for rapid socio-economic development in seven Naxal-affected districts of the state.

"We have submitted a scheme amounting to Rs 4553 crore for the seven districts widely affected by left wing extremism to the Planning Commission and I hope its formal sanction will be accorded soon," Chief Minister Raman Singh said today.

Speaking at the 55th National Development Council Meeting here, he said special assistance in the form of integrated development plan should also be made available to six other districts affected by the Naxal menace.

Dismissing suggestions that large-scale mining by private companies is the cause of the Naxalism in the state, he said most of the mining activities are being undertaken by Central PSUs and lamented that they spend "only a small" amount of their profit towards development.

"The real position is that over 86 per cent of coal mining and 98 per cent of iron ore mining in the state is being undertaken by the Central PSUs like SECL, NMDC and SAIL," he said.

While people have been demanding a policy for setting a substantial part of the mining profit aside for developmental activities, "the PSUs spent only small amount of their profit towards local development, which needs to be corrected urgently," he said.

He said, "The amount being spent are less than three per cent, which needs to be immediately raised to 10 per cent and finally up to 20 per cent to 25 per cent".

Singh also raised concern over some sections of the new mining bill being based on the "infallible principle of direct licence to first in the line" and said it should instead be based on "direct licence to applicants who offer maximum value addition or revenue sharing principle".

Another omission in the said mining bill is that it contains no provisions for scheduled areas which should be incorporated, he added.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the Centre should consider establishment of a suitable construction agency for improving road connectivity in the Naxal-affected Bastar district for speedy development.

"In addition to this, number of units of Border Roads Organisations working in this area (Bastar) should also be increased," he said.