Govt to tackle Naxals after polls

Operation will be followed by developmental works

The operation, including around 40,000 paramilitary forces, would initially focus on six districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Maharashtra and later move onto other Naxal pockets.

The anti-Naxal operations would be followed by developmental works involving Rs 7,300 crore. The funds would be disbursed in the current year and spent over a span of three years in the areas cleared of Naxalites.

“We hope that literally within 30 days of security forces moving in and dominating the areas, we should be able to restore civil administration there,” Home Secretary G K Pillai told newspersons.

Pillai said in the first year the government would spend Rs 1,000 crore in areas where civil administration was restored after successfully eliminating the Naxal menace. “The development package has already been worked out in consultation with the states,” he said.

In its “holistic approach” to counter the left-wing extremism, the Centre has asked states to take steps to strengthen police stations, health centres, schools, public distribution system, roads and security to contractors.

“We would love to have more paramilitary forces to restore civil administration in larger areas. But we would for the time being manage with what we have and we are not really calling upon either the army, the air force or the navy to help us,” Pillai said.

Quizzed on the spate of violence unleashed by Maoists recently, the home secretary said the Naxals were trying to show their might, as they were worried about the safety of their top leaders.

The completion of Assembly poll process in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh by next week would release a sizeable part of the Central forces deployed in these states, he said.

Cop’s wife forgives husband’s killers

Widow of Inspector Francis Induwar, who was kidnapped and beheaded by Maoists, on Wednesday said she pardoned her husband’s killers, but her youngest son wished to step into his father’s shoes to fight the Naxals, reports PTI from Ranchi.
“I forgive them. But I would like to request them not to repeat (such a grisly act) which will leave women widows and children orphans,” Sunita Induwar told newsmen after receiving Rs 1 lakh as ex-gratia from the government at her residence here. Trying to beat back her tears, she demanded that the security of policemen on duty be made a priority.

However, Induwar’s youngest son, a class V student, who learnt about his father’s brutal murder through television, said he wanted to join the police to combat Naxalism.