Govt readies action plan for development

The home ministry is preparing an action plan to deliver a quick and effective dose of development to areas under Maoist influence.

The home ministry is preparing an action plan to deliver a quick and effective dose of development to areas under Maoist influence.

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As part of this exercise, Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday apprised members of Parliament representing severely Naxal-affected districts on the implementation status of developmental schemes.

“The MPs spoke about their perspective on the issue and what role they could play in ensuring better monitoring of various programmes,” home secretary G.K. Pillai said after the meeting.

A second meeting will be held in the second half of May. Concrete suggestions from the MPs will go into the drafting of the action plan. Chidambaram told the MPs that he would call a meeting of chief ministers and place the action plan for accelerating development before them.

Government officials insisted the renewed focus on development wasn’t going to come at the cost of the security component of the Centre’s anti-Naxal strategy. Neither had the government allowed the massacre of CRPF personnel in Dantewada to stand in the way.