The state government is ready to hold talks with the naxal leaders to find a solution to the issues raised by them provided the they put down arms, Home and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M P Prakash announced in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a debate on the killing of five “naxals”,  in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Prakash said following the killing of naxal leader Saaketh Rajan, the then Dharam Singh government had invited naxal leaders as well as their sympathisers for talks. But nobody came forward.

“Now also I extend an invitation to these leaders. Let the naxals eschew violence and come forward for negotiations. We’ll try to fulfill whatever demands possible”,   Prakash assured the House.

On the steps taken to provide special assistance to the naxal-prone areas based on the recommendations of the Chiranjeevi Singh Committee report, the home minister said while Rs 3 crore had been released to Chickmagalur district,  Rs one crore each was given for other districts. In addition to this, Rs 10 lakh had been released to 152 taluks by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

Prakash said that the government has allotted two-three acre land to some of the tribals living inside the forest.
Since many of them did not know agriculture, they were being exploited by the local people. But many tribals living inside the forest were not ready to come out of the forest and take up cultivation.

Of the five killed, two — Gautam and Parameshwar — have already been identified as naxals. The full details of the remaining three — Subramanya, Ramegowda and Kaveri — are not yet known. “The police have made no mistake in this case. However a magisterial inquiry is on and if anybody is found guilty, action will be initiated”, he assured the House. However not satisfied with the reply, the Opposition Congress members staged a walk out.