Chaibasa: Union Rural
Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday laid foundation
stones for development projects worth Rs 250 crore in villages
situated near Maoist affected Saranda in West Singhbhum
district.
"As per the Integrated Action Plan by the Centre and
the state, a total of 6000 families will get Indira Awas,
besides construction of roads, health centres and other
amenities," Ramesh told reporters here after laying foundation
stone for road and other development projects.
The minister distributed solar lamps, bi-cycles and
transistors to some families in the villages near Saranda and
started the process of giving cheques for Rs 48,500 each to
the beneficiaries to build houses under Indira Awas Yozana.
"It is just the beginning of development initiatives.
Results will show after two/three years," said Ramesh, who
during his previous visits to the state had said development
initiatives could control the Maoists menace.
This was the third visit of the minister after the
police claimed Maoists were driven out from most parts of
Saranda forests in a major anti-Naxal operation during
July-August last year.
Meanwhile, the security forces
today detected three IEDs near Digha village in
Maoist-infected Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district,
hours before Jairam Ramesh’s
programme there.
"The IEDs were detected during search operation early in
the morning. But it should not be linked with the minister’s
visit, because they had been planted by the Maoists at
separate places in Saranda long back," West Singhbhum
Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh said here.
The IEDs were defused after being detected early morning
about 500/600 metres from the venue where Ramesh visited
around 10.30 am.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 30, 2012, 20:45