No Maoist problem in Jharkhand, says CM Raghubar Das

KOLKATA: Jharkhand does not have any Maoist problem and the state has received investments of over 21,000 crore in the last 20 months, chief minister Raghubar Das said here today.

The chief minister claimed that some criminals were using the name of Maoists to carry out their activities and the BJP government will deal with them firmly.

"Jharkand does not have any Maoist ultra problem. Only some 'goondas' are there in some pockets of the state and they use the name of Maoists. The state government will strongly deal with them," Das told a press conference here.

In the last 20 months since the BJP government came to power, the state did not witness any major strike by any militant group, the chief minister said.

"The state government has come out with a surrender policy for the militants and many of them have surrendered",he said.

Asserting that Jharkhand was progressing on the path of development, Das, who was here in connection with global investors summit, said that the state has received investments of 21,308 crore in the last 20 months.

The investments were in different areas including food sector.

He said that NMDC proposed to set up a steel plant at Chatra district.

The NMDC board has approved the project and the company has applied for land, he said.

Lafarge cement has also applied for land for a grinding unit, he said.

Das said that electronic manufacturing cluster is coming up at Adityapur which was approved by the Centre and SPV formation is under progress.

Apart from this, in principle approval from the Centre was received for a plastic park at Devipur, Deoghar, he said.

To a question, the chief minister said that the proposal for setting up steel plants by ArcellorMittal and JSW steel in Jharkhand was still on