E-Paper
Fight goes to enemy camp
In a bid to flush out naxals from remote villages, the Union government has directed affected states to undertake largescale awareness campaigns highlighting the extemists? atrocities.
In a bid to flush out naxals from remote villages, the Union government has directed affected states to undertake largescale awareness campaigns highlighting the extemists’ atrocities.
And the states needn’t bother about cutting corners to fund the drive: The Union home ministry will underwrite the expenses under its security related expenditure (SRE) scheme. The Centre is ready to disburse Rs 2 lakh per naxal-affected district every year.
With the Centre bank-rolling the project, the Orissa government has already sprung into action. It has sent detailed guidelines to the SPs of naxal-affected districts to make villagers aware of the Red menace.
The messages to be sent around will include “various welfare and developmental schemes of the government, exposing unlawful activities and misdeeds of the naxals and their leaders, lack of development in affected areas due to fear and extortion by the extremists and benefits of peace”.
The MHA will also reimburse the expenses incurred by the state governments for appointing special police officers (SPO) in naxal-affected districts. The guidelines issued to SPs also mention that the Centre has asked states to consider the services of surrendered rebels, relatives of victims of terror attacks, ex-servicemen and ex-forest guards as SPOs. But these people have to be vetted the SRE Standing Committee.
