Minister Prakash Jaiswal's mantra to wipe out Naxalites

Minister Prakash Jaiswal's mantra to wipe out Naxalites

RANCHI: Union minister of state for home Sri Prakash Jaiswal has urged the state governments, facing Naxalite menace, to adopt two-pronged strategy for wiping out the Naxalite problem from the face of the country.

On one hand, the state governments concerned should make full utilisation of central funds for undertaking largescale development works in Naxalite-infested areas so that poverty and unemployment, which are the root causes of Naxalite problem, could be minimised, and on the other hand, elaborate security arrangements should be made to counter forces which use violence as a means for creating hurdles in the way of these development works, Jaiswal said while talking to mediapersons at the Birsa Munda Airport here on Friday.

The Union minister was on his way back to New Delhi after a two-day visit to the state during which he campaigned for Congress candidate from Koderma parliamentary seat, Manoj Yadav.

The home minister opined that use of force against Naxalites could only be a short-term solution to the Naxalite problem and permanent solution was, he added, to remove the very causes, like poverty unemployment and regional disparities, which give birth to such problems.

Taking a dig at the tendency of state governments to post police officials in Naxalite areas as a punishment posting, Jaiswal said such tendencies could only aggravate the problem because it may hit the very morale of the officials who are posted in such areas.

"I think the most efficient officials should be posted in such areas so that Naxalite threat could be addressed properly," he added.

Commenting on the issue of alleged diversion of central funds meant for police modernisation by the previous NDA regime in the state, the Union home minister said instead of going into the misdeeds of the previous regime he was more interested in optimum utilisation of central funds by the present UPA regime in the state so that the police force could be modernised as per the exigencies of the time.

Replying to queries about his ministry's preparedness to extend help to state governments for launching air surveillance in Naxalite-infested regions so that security personnel could be well aware about the hideouts of Naxalites, Jaiswal said the Union home ministry was ready to fulfil all justified demands of the state governments in their fight against Naxalism.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/313247.cms