With an aim to tackle the problem of Naxals in Uttar Pradesh,the state government has decided to focus on comprehensive development of those districts affected by the ultras. As a result,the state Social Welfare department has decided to introduce Integrated Tribal Development Programme (ITDP) in the Naxal-hit Sonebhadra district. The programme will not just ensure that the district gets support for infrastructure,but also welfare schemes to ensure its overall development. So far,the programme was only being implemented in the Lakhimpur Kheri district for Tharu tribals. The department has now decided to implement it in the Sonebhadra district for the Kol tribal community. Speaking to The Indian Express,Principal Secretary (Social Welfare) Prem Narain said: This is one of the best programmes that talks of complete development. And incidentally,though the state has a considerable population of tribals,including the Kols,the project was being used in just one district. Hence,we have decided to extend this programme to Sonebhadra too. Incidentally,most of the Naxals belong to the Kol community,and the department feels that a developmental approach will go a long way in curbing the problem. With this programme,we can focus on creating infrastructure like roads,drinking water supply,schools in all the villages,anganwadi centres for children,mini-primary health centres in all villages and the community health centres at block levels, said Narain. The programme will also ensure employment generation through various government-sponsored welfare schemes like NREGS and Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna, he added. For this,the state has agreed to 50-50 funding with the Centre. The department has already marked the blocks,which have substantial population of Kol tribals. We plan to begin work at the earliest as we want to complete it within this financial year, said Narain. He added that the Centre has agreed for the grant of Rs 68 crore under this scheme,half of which will be given by the state. UP top cops to attend anti-Naxal meet in Jharkhand todayTo chalk out a joint strategy against Naxal groups,senior police officers from Uttar Pradesh,Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh will attend a meeting in Jharkhands Gadhwa district on Friday. The Assembly elections in Jharkhand are slated for December and the Naxal groups can trigger off violence in any of the adjacent states during this period, said Mirzapur DIG R P Singh. The Naxal groups operate from the dense forest areas bordering the three states. As per the intelligence inputs,6 to 10-member squads of Naxals,who are equipped with firearms,grenades and explosives,keep shifting their locations from one place to another in the jungles bordering the three states, said SP of Sonbhadra Preetinder Singh,who will be accompanying the DIG to the meeting. One of the Naxal groups,which is also active in Bihar,is headed by Munna Vishwakarma. Munna is the one of the most wanted Naxals in UP,Bihar and Jharkhand,and is wanted in over a dozen of cases in UP alone,said the SP. In January this year,Munna and his associates were named in a case for shooting an alleged police informer in Kanhaura area of Sonbhadra. The police later arrested Munnas close aide Raj Mohan alias Raju from the Kone area who revealed that the Naxal leader takes shelter in Rohtas district of Bihar whenever the UP Police initiate operations in the jungles.
