Naxal problem not so bad in Orissa: Ramesh

BERHAMPUR/BHUBANESWAR: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the problem of left wing extremism (LWE) in Orissa is not as bad as in Chhattisgarh. Reviewing the implementation of development and welfare schemes in seven Maoist-affected districts of Orissa in Berhampur, he said, “The situation is not so bad in Orissa.”.Orissa is at the borderline, Ramesh said, adding that the situation can be salvaged if there is sensitive and effective administration in the State.The Minister asked the district collectors to make proper utilisation of welfare schemes such as PMGSY, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) to combat left wing extremism.Besides the difficulty in the implementation of PMGSY, which is the main target of the Naxalites, the collectors, at the meeting, raised the issue of the problem of payment to beneficiaries under MGNREGS. The third problem, raised by the collectors, was about the shortage of staff for implementation of welfare programmes.Appointment is made centrally at the State-level. But nobody stays in these districts. The collectors wanted recruitment to be made at the district level, Ramesh said.The Minister refuted the BJD charge that the Centre was neglecting Orissa. The Centre provides, on an average, ` 6,000 crore to Orissa under various schemes, he said, adding that there was no discrimination against Orissa.Pointing out that strengthening security force and deploying central para-military force are essential, Ramesh said, “Ultimately, we have to directly deal with the local people.” Identifying five basic characters of LWE-hit districts, Ramesh said they (districts) were mostly tribal-dominated, heavily forested, mineral-rich, far away from State capitals and located in tri-junctions. The Minister said the Centre had last year sanctioned `25 crore to each LWE-hit district and this year gave another `30 crore. “Therefore, the district authorities need to ensure that the funds are properly utilised to combat LWEs,” he said. Ramesh left for Kandhamal district after visiting a village near Berhampur.