Ranchi: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the states not to leave a political vacuum in villages situated in dense forest areas to prevent Maoists from taking advantage of the vacuum. "The strategy to deal with the Maoists should be a three-pronged action---development, taking political activity to the villages near forests and police/para-military (operations)," Ramesh, who yesterday visited Chhotanagra village in the Maoist-affected West Singhbhum district, said at a press conference here.
Asking all the political parties to take their party activities to the remotest areas to prevent the Maoists from exploiting the vacuum, Ramesh cited how West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to Jungle Mahal through a political rally.
"Mamata Banerjee showed courage in organising a political rally in Jungle Mahal, which has changed the environment there," he claimed, adding roads, bridges, health care and jobs under MG-NREGA would neutralise extremism. "We can win tribal minds through development initiatives ... after 11 years our CRPF personnel drove out the Maoists from Saranda forest (in Jharkhand)... and the state officials should step in with development works so that the Maoists would not be able to return," he added.
Under the Saranda Action Plan, Rs 277 crore would be spent in the villages in and around Saranda forest to give roads and other amenities to the people there.
Stating that he would not hesitate to say that for the "past 50 years successive governments could not discharge their constitutional responsibilities in tribal areas," he said people went to forest areas and took mineral wealth, ignoring the impact it would leave on the tribals.
He lamented over rehabilitation and resettlement work still remaining incomplete in some parts of the country.
Hinting at panchayat elections taking place in Jharkhand only last year after 32 years, Ramesh said had the Panchayat Raj Act (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) been implemented 15 years ago, then there would not have been any problems from all these `Ji`s---like Samarjee and Kishanji.
Expressing concern over Maoist presence in South Chhatisgarh and Western parts of Jharkhand, Ramesh reiterated that development was one of the most crucial strategies in rooting out the left-wing extremism.
Assuring the state government of Central help, he expected that the Arjun Munda cabinet would soon approve the 25 percent state’s share in speeding up appointments of panchayat officers, junior engineers in 14 naxal-affected districts in Jharkhand.
Ramesh said he would tour all the Maoist-affected districts and ensure development there.
PTI