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